


Sillage

by Eskayrobot, Poaxath



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Explicit Smut, F/M, Gotta repopulate the world, Kylo is hot af, Mating Bites, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mutual Masturbation, Past Rape/Non-con, Rey doesn't want any part of it, Scenting, Sometimes consenting adults fuck other consenting adults when not in a committed relationship, Talk about knots, The world is fucked, classic miscommunication
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-05-14 11:14:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19272148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eskayrobot/pseuds/Eskayrobot, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poaxath/pseuds/Poaxath
Summary: In a world after disaster, Rey puts her scavenging skills to the test to keep her and her friends alive. When she makes the mistake of trying to steal from Kylo Ren's territory, she risks upheaving her new way of life...and ending up a queen.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has literally been in the docs since August of last year. Definitely time to start posting, yeah? All inspired by a fanart of Kylo wearing a black tank top, holding a katana with his hair in a half bun and some neato tattoos on his arm. Because obviously katanas are only used in post-apocalyptic scenarios.

 

* * *

 

_sill·age_  
_/sēˈäZH/_  
  _n_ _oun_  
   
_1\. the degree to which a perfume's fragrance lingers in the air when worn._

 

* * *

 

The sun was sweltering, even more so today than every other day. Maybe that was because of the heat she was due in the next week, but whatever the cause, Rey was tired of it. After the world had gone to shit from the virus, everything else had pretty much followed suit. The economy had collapsed, there'd been anarchy in the streets, and a _lot_ of people had died. The source of the virus hadn't ever been able to be traced, except for coming from somewhere in Canada. It had been named B-182, because the scientist that discovered it had been listening to some band that Rey recognized by name alone.

Rey dragged her forearm over her face, collecting sweat—precious lost fluid—and wiped it on her pants. Stupid heat. Since the fall of civilization, she'd taken to being a nomad. Well, sort of. She had two friends that had survived, Finn and Rose. Finn was an alpha and Rose was a beta. Rey was the only omega of the trio, so even against Finn’s warnings, and offerings of protection, she set off on solo missions to secure food and other supplies. It was probably really dumb, especially being as close to her heat as she was, but she was the best scavenger of the bunch. She was the one with the most nimble of fingers, the one able to fit into tight spaces, and make the least sound while doing it.

Without access to suppressants, as those medicines had been some of the first to be used up by any survivors, as well as antibiotics, she left her mark wherever she went. She could tell her scent was lingering in the walls of a building, as she sometimes caught one of those gangs of alphas enter the building shortly after her leaving. It wasn't her fault her biology was stupid. She knew what was likely to happen should she ever be caught and captured. Alphas were the more aggressive of the three designations, driven more by instinct, and fueled with a natural power. Finn was the only trustworthy one she knew of, so far.

When her heats presented themselves, Rey locked herself away for days at a time and Finn stood guard outside her door. She knew it wasn't fair to him, to make him be so close to her but unable to touch, but he admitted he didn't mind. He said it was for her safety, and that mattered more than anything.  Omegas had all been but wiped out, seeming to succumb to the virus more than anyone else. Betas weren’t far behind, unfortunately, so they were just as rare, but there were still more of them than omegas.

With Finn and Rose safely tucked away in their hideout, Rey was trying to scrounge for enough food to last out the next two weeks. Each day she went out as she got closer to her heat, the more risky it became. She was armed with her wooden staff, a handcrafted thing made of sturdy beechwood. She'd spent a lot of hours carving it and polishing it to a shine. She'd trained with it for hours upon hours, deflecting fake attacks and returning her own. She was decent at it, if she thought so herself.

In this scorching summer heat, she'd taken to wearing some clothes considered to be less traditional than modern clothing. Instead of a shirt and shorts, she was wearing a tunic of sorts with a gauzy fabric that went over her chest. Her arms were wrapped with a slightly more dense fabric to protect from the sun’s harsh rays. Her hair was pulled away from her face in a three-bun style to keep it out of the way while providing maximum cooling to her scalp.

She crept through the remnants of Phoenix, Arizona, the dilapidated buildings crumbling from neglect. The pavement was cracked everywhere, shoots of weeds spurting out of them. It was a sad sight, really, one of loneliness and an untold story. She knew that on the other side of the city was the hospital, where they'd had to start burning the bodies of the dead in order to help clear any contaminants.

As she slipped into a nearby building, one that appeared to have been a general store at some point in time, she noted the kicked in door, the frame splintered. It wasn't uncommon anymore. She’d gotten used to seeing carnage and running into people that had traded morals and ethicality for survival.

She'd seen people murder and swindle, and she herself had taken to theft on more than one occasion. Which was technically what she was doing now. Rumor had it that the old owner of this shop had been some sort of doomsday prepper and he had a bunker underneath the shop. Of course it was just a rumor, since it was within city limits and there was probably no way for something like that to pass a permit.

She moved through the empty aisles silently, stepping over trash and debris from the broken out windows and some items that had been dropped from the shelves and long since expired. It stank, the putrid scent filling her nose, but it would help to cover her own scent. Rey prided herself on being a survivalist, but above all else, she prided herself on keeping a good hold on her humanity. She helped where she could, especially if they were young children. On more than one occasion, she'd handed over her last can of beans to a child that had needed it. She hadn't had any regrets, even during the situations where it had obviously been a trick and the child’s parent would appear shortly after to split the can with.

Everyone needed to eat, but no one would be killing her or any of her friends if she could help it.

She’d been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't been watching where she was going, and accidentally kicked an empty can hard across the room with her next step. She winced and froze, dropping down into a crouch instantly. Her ears were trained, listening for something, anything.

Neiric Ren had caught scent of the girl immediately, he and his partner, Zoie Ren, tracking her into the old store. It had been so long since either had scented a precious omega, and even longer since they’d tracked one in heat. It was almost like a gift had been dropped into their laps, this perfect and pretty little specimen happening to come across their path on one of their usual supply runs. Silently, ever the perfect hunters, they wondered who the girl was. Last they’d checked, they had control of every known omega in their territory. It was one of the greatest perks of being a Knight of Ren, of being the apex alphas: they got priority breeding partners, as their genes were clearly superior and they were needed to repopulate the world.

They tracked her between two shelves, their senses heightened even further as her scent climbed above that of the rotten food around them. They were even luckier than they’d originally thought: this bitch was about to be in heat. Neiric considered just jumping her, but Zoie gave him the signal that bid him to wait, allowing them to observe her a moment longer before their attack. It wouldn’t do to cause a struggle, as the girl could end up accidentally hurt in it, and then they’d be in trouble.

Zoie smirked as she watched the girl go into defensive posture when she’d kicked the can. The poor, sweet little thing had clearly thought she was alone before this moment. It was almost a shame, destroying this illusion of safety. But the girl would find true safety soon. Being kept by a Knight of Ren was an honor, and it promised her supplies that were the absolute best. Had to keep the incubators healthy, after all. Their health determined that of the generation after.

From where Rey was situated, she could see the remains of the pharmacy aisle, little handheld mirrors still on their pegs. It was in one of those that she'd seen a bit of movement behind her, and she knew for sure she wasn't alone. She needed to get out of here, _now._ She tried to mentally calculate the nearest exit; she couldn't go back the way she'd come, since they were right behind her, obviously, but with this being a general store, there had to be a back exit. That didn't necessarily mean anything, though; there could be more of them waiting right outside. Unfortunately, that seemed to be her only option at the moment. She could see the exit sign over a door in the back, unlit from lost power. She tensed her legs, gathering them under her to prepare for a sprint.

And then the scent hit her. It was not one, but two alphas. She would be absolutely _fucked,_ literally, if they caught her. Pushing off the ground, she bolted towards the door, immediately hearing them give chase behind her. She may be an omega, but she was quick, years of hard-earned muscle propelling her forward.

Neiric Ren grabbed her by the wrist as she sprinted past him, giving a hard tug as he pulled and slammed her into his broad chest.

“Not so fast, little omega.” He leaned forward and inhaled her scent at her neck, nosing directly over her scent gland. He groaned, low in his throat, as her pheromones filled him, the promise of what lie in her near future nearly pulling him into a rut. Only nearly, though. He was a strong warrior and had a sharp sense of control over all his instincts, even the hardest alpha ones.

“You should be somewhere safe,” Zoie Ren said, approaching the two. “Such a pretty little omega like you shouldn’t be scavenging for her food. We’re going to take you home now,” she cooed, trailing one knuckle down the girl's cheek. While a female omega wasn’t her preference, it wasn’t like she could ignore the wonderful scent she gave off.

“Get your hands off of me!” Rey snarled, headbutting the man that was seriously stupid enough to try and get to her scent gland.

Neiric groaned in pain but still tightened his hold on the smaller woman. Annoyed that she’d already struggled, he hauled her up and over his shoulder, Zoie coming forward to bind her legs together.

“Kylo will be pleased we found another,” Zoie said, looping the rope around her partner’s waist to keep the girl bound to him.

“Let go of me!” Rey howled, thrashing as much as she was able. She spat profanities and cursed them to the end of their days. “I _am_ safe! I _have_ food! _LET GO OF ME!”_

She beat her fists against his back, bending down as much as she was able to try and bite him through his clothing.

“She’s feisty. Maybe Kylo will keep her for himself,” Zoie laughed, capturing Rey’s hands between her own and slipping a rope around those, as well. “Sorry, sweetie. You’re a traitor on our territory and an unmated omega. We’ll take good care of you, like we’re supposed to. Biology rules in these hard times.”

“Grab whatever’s worth it here. I’ll start taking her back,” Neiric instructed.

“Fuck your biology!” Rey shouted. “I am not a slave to my designation, and I will _not_ be passed around like a broodmare. I'll kill every single one of you in your sleep unless you free me _now!”_

Zoie laughed at that, giving Rey’s butt a firm smack before flipping her long strawberry blonde hair off her shoulder. “She’s definitely the one for Kylo. I think she’d rip any of the rest of us apart. Cute little thing, too. Their kids will have nice eyes.”

Neiric rolled his eyes and made his way towards the exit, not caring that there was a screaming and thrashing woman attached to him. He carried her through the streets, moving past the abandoned cars long since siphoned for precious fuel, and the buildings that had been looted and then looted some more. End times made the world a truly terrifying and unrecognizable place, indeed, and he would have never kidnapped an omega in the time before, but he knew it was necessary for the survival of their species. Everyone had to think about what was best for the world now. Focusing on the self was too selfish.

“Don’t worry, little omega. You’re not going to be a broodmare. You will simply be the mate of one and only one alpha. If you’re lucky, our leader will choose you as his. You’ll never want for anything as his omega,” Neiric explained, almost too casually for the situation.

“I don't want to be mated to your stupid leader, you buffoons!” She knew she was expending precious energy by struggling, so she fell still. There was no way she would be able to get out of these bindings for now. She’d just have to wait for her opportune moment. Somewhere, she realized that she'd lost her weapon, and she hoped it would still be there when she got back. For now, she'd have to fight tooth and nail to keep someone away from her.

Sighing, though not in defeat, she conserved her strength, grunting at the feeling of this stupid alpha’s shoulder digging into her gut. She was plotting, planning for her escape, and she would make sure it would be soon.

“Stop being so selfish, omega. You have a responsibility to humanity. You’re going to be fertile very soon and you need to be full of a proper alpha’s seed. I can smell another alpha on you. It’s a shame he didn’t mark you if you didn’t want to be separated from him,” Neiric said.

“Contrary to popular opinion, you can still be friends with people without needing to fuck them,” she snapped back. “That _is_ still a thing, even in this fucked up world.”

“Claiming doesn’t have to be sexual,” he replied dryly. “Claiming can be a way of keeping a pack together. If he wanted to keep you as a member of his pack, he should have been smarter. Although, on a personal note, I don’t quite know why he wouldn’t want to fuck you. You’re a lovely omega, even through the grit and grime.”

“Because I didn't want him to! He actually _respects_ boundaries. Ones you have absolutely crossed,” she hissed, thrashing again. She glared at the woman trailing behind them, snapping, “You can't _really_ condone this! This is ridiculous!”

“I was a gynecologist and a family doctor before the world went to shit. Do you know what I learned? That I don’t want the world to end with us, and sacrifices must be made to ensure the survival of humanity. You’re going to go into heat, anyway. You’ll be begging for a knot and one of our alphas will give it to you. We are all merely following our biological imperatives,” Zoie said. “They won’t mark you, if that’s not what you want. You will still be free to find true love or...whatever, but you must do your duty, first.”

“I am _not_ going to be begging for anyone’s knot. I've had plenty of heats before with a more than capable alpha nearby, and never once have I asked for that. I will kill anyone that dares lay a hand on me against my will,” she vowed, her hormones surging. It was basically the time before a period, when she was at her most irritable, but she wasn't lying. She'd die before she ever begged for some stranger’s knot. Sure, she got sick after her heats from denying it, but she recovered and life went on.

That caused Zoie to smirk. “But you have been knotted before, right?”

“Zoie, stop harassing her,” Neiric snarled, rolling his eyes.

“Shut up, I want to know!" Zoie snapped, her green eyes flashing dangerously. She then looked sweetly at Rey. "Tell me, pretty little omega. You _have_ had your tight cunt stretched full of a proper alpha’s knot, right? Felt him shooting his seed deep inside your aching, empty belly and keeping it locked inside there?” she asked, grinning wickedly as she watched Rey’s face for a reaction.

“I'm not answering any questions from you,” she growled back, rolling her eyes. “None of your business.”

Zoie let out a loud, high-pitched laugh, the sound bouncing around the empty city. “You haven’t! No wonder why your resolve sounds so strong right now.” She stepped in closer, holding her face inches from the other woman’s. “Oh you dumb, sweet little thing. You’re going to go into heat _surrounded_ by alpha’s. You’re going to get fucked so good and knotted so deep, you’re never going to want to go.”

Rey bared her teeth at the other woman, wondering if she could lunge close enough to bite her stupid nose. She couldn't even take the chance to be around any alphas. She had a knife in her shoe, if she could just reach it. Her wrists were getting rubbed raw from the rope, and she was sure her legs weren't fairing much better. There was no hope that her friends were close enough to hear her if she screamed, as they were outside the city limits.

Neiric climbed the steps that lead to their base, housed in what was once the city hall. He nodded to the alpha’s who were standing on guard, noting the way their pupils immediately dilated to smell the omega slung over his shoulder. They made their way through the building, stripped down through looting before they’d claimed it, but still maintaining its general grandeur. They passed through two more checkpoints of alpha guards, all of whom stood at attention for the high ranking Knights. They made their way through the final doors, finally entering the sanctuary.

There was no sound save for a sharp scraping, sparks falling away and landing harmlessly on the floor. The other Knights sat in silence, watching as their pack leader and king, Kylo Ren, sharpened his katana. He found little merit in the old saying of “brought a knife to a gunfight”, as guns required ammo and ammo was scarce these days. Everything was scarce these days. But Kylo Ren kept them safe, leading their pack to victory over any who opposed them as well as securing them the best supplies still available. Kylo Ren would get the world back in order, they were all sure of it.

Kylo looked up as a new scent filled his nose. It was— _heaven_. A sweet omega smell permeated through every other scent, and he picked her scent apart, tasting her rage, her frustration, and her—he nearly choked on the scent of her impending heat. The scent of it spiked as soon as he latched onto it, and he felt himself growing immediately tense, the urge to take the girl and mate her, immediately, suddenly coursing through his veins. But he was strong, stronger than his biology, and he would not be driven into rut so easily by a scent.

“I see you’ve brought me something?” Kylo rumbled lowly, eyeing the attractive rump slung over Neiric’s shoulder.

“No, he _hasn't!”_ Rey nearly screeched, immediately fighting again. “Put me down, you fucking animal!”

“Cut the girl down,” Kylo ordered with a simple wave of his hand.

Zoie reached into Rey’s boot and took out the knife she’d noticed there when tying her up, using it to cut her free. She helped Neiric set the girl down, holding her by the hips while Neiric held her by the arms.

Kylo sucked in a sharp breath, taking in the form of the omega before him. If her scent was enticing, her eyes were more. Her hazel eyes were wild and passionate, full of a burning rage that he prized in his Knight’s and had never once seen in an omega. She was small, although omega’s usually were, but he was pleased to see muscles on her arms and legs, while simultaneously displeased to see a hollowness to her cheeks and her belly. This omega was strong but she starved. Everything in his biology demanded that he bring her to his side and take care of her, protect and nurture her like he was meant to. He thought about how she would feel pressed against him, how her breasts would fit in his hands and how her ass would feel against his hips while he pounded down into her. This was her. She was finally the one he was going to make his mate.

Rey glared at the man before her, meeting his intense gaze that reminded her of caramel. He was wearing a black tank top that showed off his broad shoulders and powerful biceps. He had a tattooed sleeve on one arm, but she didn't care to see what it was made of. His long black hair looked to be half tied up in some style she couldn't see. And he positively _reeked_ of alpha.

She tugged on her arms, growling when that didn't work. Instead, she lifted her foot and stomped hard on the man’s foot, simultaneously trying to push herself back into the woman to headbutt her as well.

“Good grief, you two, did you drag this one in against her will or something?” Kylo chuckled, clearly knowing it was true. “You know that’s not how we treat an omega.”

“Yes, they did! Now let me go!” she snarled, eyeing him suspiciously. She couldn't escape the grip of two alphas, though she felt like she was putting up somewhat of a fair fight given the situation.

Kylo gave another wave of his hand and the Knights released the girl. “What is your name?” he asked, biting down the urge to tack on “my omega”. She would be his soon enough. He just wanted her to want it, needed her to need it.

“You and your lot of _traffickers_ don't deserve my name,” she spat back at him, rubbing the purple rings on her wrists from where the rope had been.

Kylo chuckled. “We’re _hardly_ traffickers, little omega. We merely wish to offer vulnerable omegas safety and protection. Neiric and Zoie will be punished for their rough handling of something so precious.”

Neiric growled lowly at that. “It wouldn’t have been so rough if she would have just _cooperated.”_

“She’s got spunk. I love it,” Zoie laughed instead. “I knew you’d want this one, whether she complied or not.”

“Zoie Ren, we do _not_ take omegas against their will. You know the laws. We only take those who desire our protection. This omega here does not think she needs us, so she shall be free to leave,” Kylo said, his voice steady and low. 

Rey had the good sense to force herself to calm down slightly. The leader of this group was saying she could leave, and the less she provoked him, the less likely he was to rescind that offer. She just needed to get home and make sure Finn and Rose were all right. While she wanted to be referred to as more than just her designation, she hadn't offered up her name for him to call her anything else by, and it was probably better that way, too.

“Am I free to leave now?” she asked, doing her best to keep her own voice civil.

Kylo set down his katana and rose from his throne, making his way down the dias and in front of her. He loomed high above her, having to decline his neck to peer at her. He circled her slowly, taking stock of her body, her scent. When he finished his circle, he smirked down at her. “Yes, little omega. You may go.”

“I'll be better armed next time,” she warned as she stepped away from him, keeping everyone in the room in her sights as much as possible. “Make sure your people know that before they try to grab me again, _Kylo.”_

She tried not to feel too much like prey as she walked out of the building, aware of the alphas on guard at each set of doors. She half expected them to stop her, but they didn't. Maybe they only responded to violence. As soon as she was back out into the sunlight, she bolted back to the general store to retrieve her staff.

“You’re just...letting her walk away? She’s going to go in heat soon, Kylo,” Neiric asked. “And we went through a fuckton of effort to bring her to you. The little bitch headbutted me.”

“You know I abhor useless violence,” Kylo said, making his way slowly back to his throne. “But none of this was in vain. After all, I have her scent now, and she’s got mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written together with Eskayrobot!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! I'm really glad for all of the comments and the general reaction to this fic. Thank you all for being wonderful!  
> Also, for this chapter, there is a potential **trigger warning** (past non-con), but no details about it.

Kylo pushed his katana through the last of the fools who dared threaten his territory, glaring down at their slain bodies. The damned band of rebels had thought his territory should be theirs, and they made the mistake of trying to attack at night, thinking that it would catch them unawares. Little did they know that the Knights of Ren were always prepared, for everything.

The wind shifted, carrying away the dying scents of the alphas and betas who had attacked. As Kylo turned towards it, sheathing his sword behind his back, he grew immediately stiff. _Her_ scent was on the wind. And it was riper, more fertile.

It was _here._

The Knights all seemed aware of this as well, each of them going just as still as they picked her smell out. It was so much more clear now that the smell of the dead were being carried away, a siren call towards fertility and the promise of a new generation. But they weren’t fools. Kylo had very clearly staked his claim on her, done without marking her, but done all the same, and they would bend to his will. He was good to them, he provided for them. They all had omega’s of their own, kept safe from an unforgiving outside world. Kylo could have his little spitfire. Only Kylo could _handle_ the little spitfire.

“She has an alpha,” Neiric warned, seeing the way his king prepared to sprint.

Kylo growled at that. He’d scented an unfamiliar alpha smell on her last week, but it was faint, mingled with hers but not in an intimate way. “He’s not _her_ alpha, though, is he? It will be his loss.”

“Take care, Kylo. I saw her weapon, and had we not caught her so unaware, she would have put up more of a fight than she already had. If she’s not already a sopping little mess, she’ll fight you,” Zoie added in. She smirked as she caught the eye of her fellow female Knight, Jade. “It will be good to have her in our folds. Perhaps we can add her to our ranks, bring her out on the front lines with us.”

Kylo snapped at Zoie then, his eyes blazing with rage. “We wouldn’t be foolish enough to risk _my_ omega like that!”

For once in her life, Zoie had enough sense to whimper and retreat, shrinking back into the safety of the ranks. “Yes, Alpha.”

“Kunz, see everyone back to base and keep watch. I’m going to go get my omega,” Kylo said.

The white-haired man nodded. “Good luck to you, Alpha. We looked forward to seeing you return in one piece.”

Kylo smirked and took off, chasing the direction the wind had come from.  

 

* * *

 

Rey’s body felt irritated all over, too many clothes chafing everything. Her nipples were sore, straining against the fabric of her tunic, but the contact was too much. Normally around this time, she would lock herself away and ask Finn stand guard, but with the lack of supplies she'd been able to bring back on her last excursion, she had no choice but to go out again. Finn had tried insisting that he go instead, but Rey had stopped his argument by pointing out that if he was caught, he'd be killed. The world had enough alphas, so losing one wouldn't be a big hindrance. He'd quieted after that, and Rose had tried to take up the argument, but her points were weak and Rey was able to find a flaw in every single one of them. Rose being a beta was, to put it shortly, of no concern. She didn't possess an alpha’s prowess and she didn't have an omega’s fertility. She was a blank slate, going about life as a neutral party. That didn't make Rey or Finn love her any less, of course.

When Rey’s heats had first started coming after the suppressants had worn off, they'd been able to find a gas mask for Finn to wear so that her scent wouldn't trigger his rut. It helped to filter it out, though not suppress it completely. It was definitely a blessing, and she wished the world would right itself so that she could bake him the biggest batch of cookies ever, because he definitely deserved them.

She'd been in this building when the fighting had started just down the street. She'd caught the scent, _his_ scent, and she groaned as her body began to ache. She could do this. She had at least until tomorrow, but that scent was driving her closer, it seemed. Either way, she could at least still tell him no, even if her body begged her otherwise. With an arm wrapped around her stomach, her womb contracting in protest that there was nothing there to give it a job, Rey slunk down low and began scooting past the open windows. It was at that particularly unfortunate moment that the wind shifted and she knew her scent was being carried towards the fighting just as the sounds began to die down.

She knew she was in trouble, then. Something about that smirk that Kylo had given her as he'd said she could go had promised that they would see each other again soon.

She didn't want to see him. She didn't want to see anyone. She wanted to hide away in her little nest and ride her fingers for the next few days. Pushing herself faster, her staff at the ready at her side, she moved from room to room, reaching the exit and sprinting outside, away from the battle that had taken place. The only place she could go was the old shack she'd claimed on the outskirts of the desert. It was a long trek, though, and she just _knew_ he was pursuing her. She felt like prey being stalked by a predator, and if she went back to the shack she shared with her friends, she'd lead him right to them. Time for plan B, then; pick another direction and run as fast as she could.

 

* * *

 

The wind was no longer carrying her scent, but it didn’t matter. He could _sense_ her, he could practically see her running in his mind. He could smell the moment she smelled him and he smirked as he felt her desire surge, her wanting body crying out for him even as her mind tried to keep her thoughts rationalized. He needed to catch up to her before anyone else caught scent of her, the other side of his alpha-ness angry that she would endanger herself like this. Someone who didn’t deserve her could attempt to scoop her up, dragging her away to whatever sad hovel they inhabited and pumping her full of a child that wasn’t worthy of her and her superior genes.

His alpha speed allowed him to push ahead of her, spying her through a gap in buildings. _Perfect._

He cut through the alley and came to a skidding halt in front of her, his eyes dark and electric. He took a greedy inhale of her scent, so potent even in the open air of the night.

“Pretty little omega, we meet again. What are you doing going out at such a precarious time?” he purred lowly at her, advancing slowly.  

Halting instantly, she glowered up at him, tightening the arm around her waist as her body clenched again. She raised her staff defensively in front of her, holding her ground as he came closer.

“Stop right there,” she panted, not entirely from running. She could smell him so much more now, his scent filling her nostrils and lingering. Long after she got away from him, he'd still be with her, and she would no doubt fuck herself to the power of his scent. She could do that part guilt-free, as long as it wasn't actually with him.

She hadn't eaten since the day before last and she felt dizzy from lack of food and her heat, but she would be able to dig deep and fight him.

“Yes, Omega. Whatever you desire,” Kylo said, holding his hands up before him to show that he meant no harm. “I do not wish to fight you. I merely would like to escort you someplace safe. Your heat is upon you and you’re very vulnerable out here in the open evening. Any number of unsavory alphas are out in the city tonight.” He paused and then smirked, a hand falling to his hip where his katana sat. "Well, fewer than before, but you understand."

“I'm not letting you escort me anywhere. I don't need you knowing where I'm going to keep myself. I don't need an alpha!” she growled at him, wanting to take a deep breath to clear her head. She knew, however, that it would only bring in more of his scent, and she did _not_ need that right now. “Just leave me alone.”

“Your scent is strong, Omega. I know I am not the only one who scented you. Please, let me keep you safe. I know you believe you can keep yourself safe, but can you really fight off a pack of alphas driven to rut?” he asked, his voice gentle as he took two careful steps towards her.

She backed up for each of his steps, hating that she was giving up ground, but she knew logically that he could over power her easily. “I am not seeing my heat through with you,” she told him, meaning every word even as her voice shook and she stumbled slightly as a wave of slick slid from her to coat her pants. She gasped, but lifted her staff in front of her.

“You plan to go it alone, then? You’d rather ride your fingers or something silicone than the real knot of a real alpha? Let me assist you, Omega. You have my word that I will not mark you without your consent, and I will allow you to leave once it is over. I even have condoms, and you may inspect each and every single one for pinpricks, if that reassures you. Please, Omega, please let me help you. I cannot bear to leave you where you can be attacked and harmed,” he said, his voice soft and soothing. He wanted to protect her, truly and honestly. Even if that meant letting her go after.

She shook her head, eyes squeezing shut as she fought off the memory. “N-no, I can't. I just can't. You don't understand. You alphas never _understand!_ I don't want one of you touching me ever again. _Ever,”_ she hissed, finding her inner strength. She willed the tears away, her hormones surging enough to make them spill over anyway.

Kylo’s blood boiled as her words clicked in his mind. “Who touched you, Omega? I will end the life of any alpha who dared harm you in such a way. A proper alpha doesn’t force an omega against her will. It is our job to provide for you and protect you.”

“It doesn't matter,” she said, gasping for a breath that wasn't a sob. “It doesn't matter. Please, just let me go. I don't want this, I don't want any of it. I just want my suppressants back so that I don't have to be this way.” She dropped her staff to her side, her shoulders slumping in on herself as she gave up the fight. He wasn't trying to force her, as he'd had ample opportunity so far.

He sighed heavily, closing the space between them. He gently took her shoulders in his hands, his body singing at the contact but his mind remaining focused on her and her comfort. He hadn’t been lying when he said that other alphas could come, as he could smell at least three unfamiliar alphas in the area. “Omega, just let me help you. Please.”

Slowly lifting her head to look up at him, she sucked in a breath and immediately regretted it. She couldn't help the way her body winced slightly at his touch, but she didn't move back. She felt conflicted, not knowing this man at all, but intrigued that he was able to fight off his rut when she was obviously in her heat. She made a small sound in her throat that was almost a whimper as she felt another wave of slick slide out of her. She'd never be able to get back home now, anyway. Finn wouldn't know that she was in her full blown heat and the second she showed up, it would trigger him, too.

But she couldn't trust this man, this alpha that was making pretty promises to her just so that he could have access to her body. She was not a breeding partner for him or for anyone. She didn't need him to keep her safe—she’d been doing it on her own for years and she could continue to do so.

Jerking back, she whispered, “My name is Rey, _not_ Omega.” Before he had a chance to respond, to draw her into his web of lies, she bolted again, needing to get away from him and from this damned city where anyone would be able to find her.

He blinked, feeling like he’d just been slapped. But he let her go. He had to let her go. If he wanted her, and fuck did he ever, he couldn’t just pounce on her and force her to let him help her through this time. Even as his heart clenched to think of any of the other alphas in the area pouncing on her instead, he couldn’t force himself on her. Then he’d be no better than whatever worthless piece of trash had harmed her before.

But he couldn’t just let her _go_ , go. So he trailed after her, keeping a sharp nose out for anyone else who dared try to approach her. It was hardly a surprise when he made contact with another alpha, the man’s eyes almost completely black with desire as he’d scented her. The urge to protect Rey was strong, though, and Kylo took the man down easily. And best of all, nearly silently. He didn’t need Rey knowing that he was trailing her, and he hardly wanted her to know that he’d incapacitated this poor, miserable man who was just trying to follow instinct. At least the pitiful fool would live to see another day. Kylo hardly wanted Rey to ever find out that he’d spilled blood on her behalf. Somehow, she did not strike him as the type who would be impressed by this. But he would keep her safe. Through her entire heat, wherever she ended up and however long it lasted, he would keep her safe.

 

* * *

 

Rey darted from building to building, using that as her cover to hide from anyone following her. And if they did happen to burst through the doors behind her, she'd be able to strike first, her eyes having adjusted to the dim gloom.

Part of her felt bad for leaving Kylo behind like that, but he had to know that she wasn't a slave to her biology and she wasn't going to let him have her just because the idea of a knot sounded good. _Really_ good. She moaned softly as her thighs became drenched and pushed forward, her pace slower as every step caused friction right where she needed it. God, how was she ever going to last through this heat? Deciding the best course of action would be to cover her scent as much as possible, she darted into another building, one that was similar to that general store from so long ago, though this one was hunting oriented. Why it was out here in the desert, she didn't know, but she was grateful for it.

She moved through the aisles and found what she was looking for. Some sort of spray that was supposed to help cover scents from animals.

Dousing herself liberally, she looked around the building again before finding a back office. This would have to do—she was almost out of time. Luckily, it appeared there were no windows for her to worry about, and there was even a little lantern with working batteries. There was an office chair with an extra blanket, like someone had slept there frequently.

Using every bit of her strength, she pushed the couch along the wall in front of the door to act as a barricade and made sure to lock it, just in case. Taking the chair, she stacked it on top of the couch and for good measure, she added the actual desk itself too after she pushed everything on top to the floor. Grabbing the blanket, she huddled in the corner, her staff at her side and inhaled sharply, shakily.

Her clothes were the first thing to go, and then her hand was between her thighs, drenched with slick. She panted into the empty air, her head thrown back as she arched her pelvis further, trying to reach what she needed.

 

* * *

 

If there was a greater torture than sitting on the other side of the wall while the omega you were practically dying for attempted to pleasure herself through a heat that was _meant_ for you, Kylo wasn’t sure what that was. But he couldn’t very well leave her now. He’d smirked to see her trying to cover her scent, but that would only work on those who didn’t really know it. It was permanently in his nose, now and forever. He could find her through anything and everything. And he could definitely smell her right now, the wonderful musk of her arousal tantalizing him in the worst possible way. Some baser part of him demanded that he tear down the door and take what was his, but he couldn’t do that. No. He had to prove that he was a good alpha. He had to _prove_ that he was worthy of her. He had to sit here, on the other side of the door, and protect her while they waited out her heat.

Of course, nothing was said about not jerking off in time with her desperate pants, so he didn’t see much harm in freeing his aching cock and giving it a practiced tug. He could at least grant himself this concession. He wasn’t made of stone, after all.   

 

* * *

 

“Go _away!”_ she moaned desperately, her body aching as she rode her fingers harder, faster.

She didn't need his scent clouding her mind anymore; she could _tell_ he was on the other side of the door, that he was _right_ there, but she didn't want him to be. Well, the rational part of Rey didn't, anyway. The other part of her, the less reasonable side, demanded she throw the door open and let him in.

“I’m not trying to get in!” He protested, even as he grunted through his ministrations. “I’m just—fuck—trying to keep you safe!” _Ungrateful omega._

“You're not—ah!—helping! Just making it—” She keened high and loud, her chest glistening with sweat as she strummed against her clit. _“Worse!”_

“If it weren’t for _me_ —Ugh!—you would already be mounted! Just—just ignore me!” he groaned back. He was so close, but he refused to come until he knew she had. Some weird part of him wanted to prove that he could match her pace, that he could wait for her to come before taking his own pleasure.

As she fucked herself harder with three fingers, the sounds of her obscenely wet motions loud in the office, she finally, _finally_ managed to get it just right and spread her fingers within her in a pathetic imitation of a knot. She moaned and cried out, biting her tongue to avoid saying a name, any name.

When her heat temporarily returned to a simmer, she withdrew her fingers and wiped them on a rag that had been on the desk and slumped back against the wall, panting heavily.

“You don't need to be here,” she called out to him, her voice breathless. “I'm sure you have more than enough to be doing for your pack.”

Kylo was panting hard. He hadn’t come that forcefully in quite some time, and he’d nearly hit his own eye with his come. Thank goodness she hadn’t seen that.

“My Knights know how to run things while I attend to something more important. I wasn’t lying when I said that we protect omegas, Rey. I couldn’t live with myself if I walked away today and came back to find you pinned down and marked by some fucking worthless excuse for an alpha who has no sense of respect,” he said, sneering at the very idea. “You can stay in there and I’ll stay out here. I promise.”

Rolling her eyes at the door, she huffed before balling up the blanket and placing it on the ground for a pillow. She laid on her back, hands resting over her stomach as she stared up at the ceiling. His stupid scent was wafting in under the door and she just wanted to scream at him to go, but he had a point. This was _not_ the most ideal spot to have a heat.

A second scent hit her a moment later and she made a face. “Did you seriously just jerk off to the sound of me?!”

“Are you seriously asking me that? I needed to take control of my rut and that was the easiest way to handle it,” he bit back, hackles raised in immediate defense. Fuck her. He was allowed to jerk off if she was. It wasn’t like he was thinking _about_ her. It was just a chemical reaction.

“Fine, _fine._ Fair enough, I guess,” she muttered under her breath. He'd probably still hear it, though. “So you seriously just plan to...to _sit_ there the entire time?”

“No, not the entire time. If someone else approaches, I will diffuse the situation before they get too close. No sense in stressing you out hearing any of that,” he grumbled, crossing is arms over his chest.

There was no way she was going to be able to sleep with this strange alpha outside her door. Well, it wasn't really _her_ door, but it was for the next few days.

“Why the katana?” she asked, trying to distract herself as she attempted to get more comfortable on the hard floor.

“No ammo needed. It makes a clean cut, quick and efficient. It’s lightweight and easy to move,” he listed off automatically. It had been something of an argument when he was forming his pack, but once the others saw what he could do with the ancient weapon, no one bitched.

“That sounds a bit rehearsed, but whatever,” she huffed back. If she looked under the crack in the door, she could just make out where he was sitting, how close he was. Fuck, this was such a bad idea. She'd need to get something to put over her nose next time to block his scent.

“Why a staff?” he shot back, still annoyed. He knew she was a spitfire, but now she was just being rude. Or maybe he was on edge because she’d orgasmed less than five feet away from him and he couldn’t do anything about it. That seemed more likely.

“Because it's good for beating the shit out of alphas that get too close,” she snapped in return. “One nice thwack upside the head and down they go. And I made it, so I'm proud.”

“Interesting,” he replied, almost dismissively. But not quite, as he felt a strange sense of pride to hear that she’d crafted her own weapon. Not that it mattered to him, anyway. It was beginning to sink in that she might _not_ become his omega. He sighed at that. He’d already made a promise, though.

“Get some rest while you can. I’ll keep watch,” he commanded softly, his voice near tender. But only because he was exhausted of being angry. If those were facts then that was that. He would just see her through her heat and go home, good deed done.

She bristled at the command, but part of her—that stupid, annoying part—wanted to listen and please the alpha on her side. Rolling over, facing the door, she adjusted the makeshift pillow under her head and sighed.

“Fine. And if you want to jerk it again, then be my guest. I won't mention it again if you don't,” she said, her own voice softer.

“Goodnight, Rey,” he replied, settling more comfortably against the door. He wouldn’t sleep until her heat was done, his stupid instincts wouldn’t dare allow that, but he could at least get comfortable.

“Goodnight—” _Alpha,_ she'd almost said. Hastening to correct herself, she added, “Kylo.”

She stared at the door for far longer than she normally would have, but with her heat kicking up, her surging hormones began to bid her to sleep. As her eyes began to flutter, she half wondered if he would truly keep his word to stay out there. He'd kept his word so far to let this be her choice; maybe he was a little trustworthy after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: They're both stupid as fuck.

As it turned out, Kylo _was_ good for his word. They didn't talk much, aside from the breaks in her heat before she inevitably fell back asleep, sometimes while he was still talking, his low voice somehow soothing to listen to. They didn't really talk about anything personal, choosing to stick to topics that didn't involve thinking too hard. She asked him what his favorite colors were (red and black), what he preferred to eat (red meat), and she even dared to thank him once, for protecting her. Granted, that last one had been right before she'd fallen back to sleep, so she didn't really know if he'd responded or not. 

She'd heard him move around a few times, sometimes going silent in what she figured was him 'taking care of something’. She wasn't sure how she felt about that, honestly. What if he got hurt? What if him protecting her meant he got killed? She'd never be able to come to grips with that. She _hated_ feeling useless like this, like she just _had_ to have someone take care of her. It was the stupid times in between the waves that she felt clingy and needy, wanting another body wrapped up with hers to cuddle with. 

After one particularly intense session, where her heart was still thundering and she felt a bit dizzy and lightheaded from the lack of a knot, she dared to ask, “Why don't you have a mate already, Kylo? Surely you could have any omega you want.”

“Finding an omega I wanted pre-virus was not a priority, and finding one after…” he trailed off, ending with a shrug she couldn’t see. “I thought I knew but I was wrong.” 

“Well regardless, you deserve to be happy. As happy as we can be in this fucked up world, anyway,” she replied, grabbing the blanket and wrapping it around her as the first of the shivers started. Those would get progressively worse and last for a few days after her actual heat was gone.

“There’s some bottled water up here, and protein bars. Only a few months past expiration, luckily. If you want to give me five minutes, I can leave them by the door. I’ll go patrol again,” he offered, wanting to get off that topic and now. He was still feeling stung by the weight of her rejection, plus he was beginning to get tired. It was easier to stay awake through an omegas heat when you were knotting her. Jerking off on the other side of a door? Shockingly, not as stimulating.

“I'm not very hungry, but...thank you,” she replied softly, waiting for him to move away from the door before she scooted forward. She'd have to move all of the furniture she'd stacked against it, but she was just so tired. Her body felt weak and sluggish, but she'd manage. She still had to eat, even if she wasn't feeling like it. 

When the five minutes had passed and she'd managed to get the door open a crack, she reached around and snatched up the items, grateful that he'd thought about her enough to try and take care of her, in the small ways he could. 

While she hadn't forced him to keep watch for her, part of her was happy he did. She'd have to make it up to him somehow, her stupid omega mind reminded her. 

Kylo couldn’t smell anything new, so he just jogged around the perimeter for a few minutes to get his blood flowing. Damn he missed cell phones. He needed _something_ to do while he waited this out with her. Maybe he should root through the store again and read a survival book or the ingredients on the protein bars or the warning on the fire pokers. _Something_ to keep him distracted. He almost entertained the idea of just leaving her, but his instincts wouldn’t dream of it. He was trapped here by his stupid biology. He wished he could argue...but he’d literally written a book about it before the virus.

Sighing gruffly, he did another five laps at a lazy pace before heading back in. He didn’t bother to announce his return. She’d either smell it or she didn’t care. It was whatever. 

When she'd shut the door, she'd...she'd left the furniture away from it. Some part of her trusted him, which was stupid. He was stubborn and being a borderline stalker, but she trusted him not to open that door. 

Smelling him come back, she felt compelled to say something, _anything._ She knew she should just ignore that stupid voice in her head, but she just couldn't. With her most recent wave having passed, and more and more time coming in between them, she slumped on the other side of the door, her head resting against the wood, blanket around her shoulders.

“I'm glad you didn't get hurt,” she said quietly, staring at the wall in front of her. 

“Thanks,” he replied shortly, kicking a fallen canteen out of his way. “Glad you didn’t get forced into anything. Again.” 

She shrugged, even if he couldn't see it. Detecting the curtness in his voice, she frowned slightly. “I don't like being forced. Being an omega is awful. Stupid suppressants were the first things to go after everything. It’s not that...that I wouldn't do this with someone. It’s just that I don't want to feel like I have to do this with someone just because biology says so. I just want it to be with someone I trust. Someone that likes me for more than just my body.”

“No one blames you for that, Rey. It’s not surprising to hear that you don’t want to be pinned down by some monster who didn’t even ask first, just because your body is projecting that you are fertile. Even in the ancient days, consent was necessary. An omega chose the alpha, not the other way around. It was considered a great honor,” he rambled. He almost felt like he was back at the university, teaching to his students. 

“And I mean, it's not like you're a bad choice or anything. Clearly you're not as driven as others by your instincts, but I don't know you, Kylo. Sure, I might be able to trust you not to bust through this door and you have given me little to no reason _not_ to trust you, aside from following me, but I still don't know a damn thing about you,” she continued, sighing softly as she cracked open the bottle of water and sipped from it, her teeth chattering a bit with chills. 

“I followed you to keep you safe,” he grumbled, kicking at a packet of what he afterwards noticed were dried rations. He picked them up and carried them over to the counter where he’d been piling up things that he wanted to bring back. “And that’s _fine,_ Rey. I offered and you said no. No big deal.” 

“You're acting like it's a big deal,” she countered, keeping her tone non-antagonistic. “Maybe not outright saying it, but I can smell it on you. I'm sorry if I wounded your pride.”

“It’s just my body’s chemical reaction to yours. Don’t worry about it. Like I said, it’s not a big deal. Let’s just get through however many days you have left and then I’ll see you back to wherever you live and we can cease contact. As long as you stop intruding on my territory, of course. Those supplies are for my pack. You have no idea what we’ve done to make sure those people stay protected,” he replied, clenching his fist. He couldn’t rage out. He could stay calm. He...he was calm. This was fine. 

“Right,” she said, her tone slipping into something more icy. “Your supplies. Your pack. Got it. Fine.”

Where the hell else was she going to go? Where else was she going to gather things for Finn and Rose? They'd have to leave, to pick up their meager belongings and move. To _where?_

“You can _join_ if you desire, but I figured you didn’t want anything more to do with me. I’m the pack leader, you’d have to interact with me whether you wanted to or not. But if you desire our protection and our supplies, by all means, join,” he said, resisting the urge to meet her cold tone. He was an alpha. He could handle this. 

“Sounds like it’s _you_ who doesn't want anything more to do with _me,_ so let's not pretend, Kylo. You take care of your people, and I'll take care of mine. It’s fine. I'll manage, just like I always have. Maybe the mountains would be nicer, anyway. Less fucking hot,” she muttered, her chest feeling tight at the thought of breaking the news to Finn and Rose. 

“I want nothing more than to keep you around, which I thought I made clear!” he snapped. He took a deep breath, his body shaking as the rage threatened to take control. “It’s...it’s your choice, Rey. Whichever you desire to do, make it.” 

Growling, she shoved herself up the door until she was standing and wrapped the blanket more firmly around herself, having enough mind to make sure she was entirely covered. 

She threw the door open, glaring down at him. He looked...exhausted. Not just exhausted, but _fucking_ exhausted. And maybe she shouldn't have opened the door, because now she was smacked full in the face with his overpowering scent. Rey had to keep a clear head, though; she couldn't let his delicious smell sway her. 

“You made it clear that you only want to keep me around because I'm a fucking _omega_ capable of being _bred._ So f-f-fuck you!” she rattled through her teeth. 

His heart immediately broke to see her, shivering from the heat in her body, curled up in a ratty blanket that hadn’t followed its original owner. All his anger turned down to a simmer and he frowned, fighting back the impulse to bring her to his chest and try to warm her up properly. She’d rejected his advances before, he didn’t dare try again. 

“I know more about Alphas and Omegas and the biology between them than most people do. It was my job, before. Doctor, scientist, and professor, focused solely on the chemical reactions between the designations. I know the _difference_ between thinking you smell fertile and thinking you smell _right._  Don’t you dare lump me in with the kind of alphas who just bolt after whatever omega they see is in heat, regardless of compatibility. You asked why I didn’t have a mate before, and that is why. I never met the one who was quite literally _made_ to be mine. And I refused to settle for another and ruin her chance at hers.” He laughed darkly then, shaking his head. “But it doesn’t always go both ways. It’s a cruel trick of the imbalance in the designations that only one omega will _ever_ smell right for me. But for you...your sense of who is right is broader, so that you don’t waste your uniqueness waiting for the proper one. So I _understand,_  Rey. I understand that you don’t want me. You can still find another, and I wish you luck.” 

Rey stared at him, absolutely dumbstruck. Her mouth fell open to say something, her jaw working uselessly for a moment. “I…you...what are you trying to say? That _I'm_ that one that smells right? That somehow _I'm_ the omega you're compatible with?”

He was surely joking, right? Looking at him more thoroughly, she frowned. He looked so sincere, so impassioned, that she couldn't help but believe him. There was no way. But fuck, maybe he was right. He smelled so good, but she didn't know if it went the other way around. 

“ _Yes,_ Rey. I couldn’t leave you to fend for yourself because I can’t leave my biologically compatible mate during her heat in a dangerous situation. But I will. If you ask me to, I will leave right now and go back to my pack and never seek you out again. Even if you decide to join us, you can continue living your life however you wish without fear of my interference. I’ll be cordial when we’re forced to interact, even after you select a mate,” he promised, even if it broke him to say. 

More confused and intrigued now than ever, she dropped down to her knees beside him. She brought her face close to his, eyes traversing every feature of him, from the moles to the shape of his nose. She frowned even harder, trying to detect any sort of a lie in his expression. 

“You really mean that, don't you?” she asked softly, curiously. She hadn't realized that she'd somehow moved even closer, bending forward on her knees to get another inhale of his scent. Maybe if she just ducked her face down to his neck, to get a better…

Kylo held his breath for a moment, fighting down the beast inside of him at her closeness. Fuck, fuck, _fuck._ But he could do this. He could handle this. He was an alpha _king_ , the most alpha of the alphas in his pack. He could handle smelling the omega whose biological markers matched his perfectly in his face, smelling so perfect, looking at him just as intently. He could. 

“Yes, Rey, I do,” he finally managed to respond. 

Jerked out of her trance at his voice, she pulled back abruptly. Shaking her head as though that might get the scent of him from her head, she looked into his caramel eyes. Every swirl of color was so clear to her, and she had the sudden image of being able to see those eyes first thing in the morning when she woke up. The idea was tempting, but also frightening. 

Reaching up slowly, she touched his cheek gently, stroking her thumb over the smooth skin. 

“Go home, Kylo. I'll see you later,” she whispered. 

He pulled away as if he’d been hit, an acute pain spearing him clear through the chest. Swallowing past the lump in his throat, he stood quickly, putting as much distance between them as possible. Fine. That was what she wanted, so that was what he was going to do. He was going to ignore how every nerve in his body _screamed_ to go back to her side and he was going to go home and he was going to forget her. 

In the only ways he knew how. 

He threw a glance at the supplies on the counter and decided that they weren’t worth it. He wanted no memory of any of this. And so, without so much as a blink her way, he opened the door and left. 

Rey watched him go, her face somber as her chest constricted. Why was she upset? She'd told him to do something and he'd done it. That was what she'd wanted, right? Of course it was. 

So why was it that as soon as she disappeared back into the office and barricaded the door again that she was crying? Stupid hormones. Stupid biology. 

Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she inhaled a shaky breath. She was all alone now, and it was exactly what she wanted; it was what she was used to.

Somehow that cut more than sharply than any blade, katana or otherwise. 

 

* * *

 

It was hardly any work finding an omega, and even less to find a willing one. There were seven unmated omegas in his pack and he only had to approach one to obtain his desired result. Contraband liquor in hand (drinking did not rebuild the world, after all), he brought her up to his room and locked the door. He’d helped many an omega through her heat, especially since the virus, so casual sex was not unfamiliar to him. It was just this damned _pain_ in his chest, the utter sense of _wrong_ that pushed him to drink more as he fucked the woman below over and over again. Thankfully, she didn’t care that he was getting too drunk to see. She was happy to be of service, she purred at one point. He could do whatever he wanted to her. And Kylo, drunk and torn apart, took her up on that. 

 

* * *

 

Rey couldn't help the fact that, when her heat eventually flared up again, she started crying as she desperately sought relief. She was truly alone, and while her rational brain insisted that that's what she wanted, her omega brain was in control and made the rules. 

She'd pushed a very good looking, strong, even caring alpha away and now her body and her heart were paying the price for it. When she cried out, her fingers rubbing mercilessly between her thighs, other fingers plunged deep into her sopping cunt, she cried out a name, and she immediately hated herself for it.

She'd had her shot, her omega mind said, beating that into her over and over. And she'd blown it. But from somewhere deep inside, the logical side of Rey was saying that this was what she wanted. It sure didn't feel like it.

When she was done, she rolled onto her side, curled into a tight ball and sobbed, blaming it strictly on her hormones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those thinking Kylo's a big dummy...you're right, but he feels justified. His supposed true mate doesn't want him in his eyes.
> 
> And Rey is equally as dumb.


	4. Chapter 4

Two days later, it was over. She thanked whatever merciful god was up there and dressed quickly. She'd have to find somewhere to wash off the remnants of the slick that had coated her thighs, but that was an issue for another time. Her scent had shifted slightly so that while she still smelled vaguely of heat, it was too late now for any alpha to really act on it, knowing the window to knot and breed was gone. 

As she finally left the office, staff in hand, her back more than sore from sleeping on such a hard surface, she looked around the store. It was just as it had been when Ky—

When _he_ had been here. 

She knew that she probably owed him an apology, at the very least. She'd given him so many mixed signals with the touching, but she hadn't been able to control herself. 

Seeing some of the protein bars he'd mentioned still outside the door, she reached down and snatched one up, immediately tearing into it. 

Did she _really_ want to go apologize to him? It probably wouldn't mean much to him at this point, but she _had_ been exceptionally rude. And he _had_ protected her until she'd sent him away. 

Well, might as well before she headed back home herself. Save a trip and all. 

As she set off down the road, holding her hand up against the blinding sun, she followed the street down to where his henchmen had brought her last time. 

She was on edge, wary of any sound, but somehow she felt a bit more relaxed, knowing this was part of his territory. In a way though, she _knew_ she wasn't welcome anymore, despite his offer to have her join. 

Making her way to the old town hall, she stood at the steps and simply stared up at it, wondering what the hell she was even doing here. 

“Hey! I know you!” Zoie Ren jogged up the steps, Jade Ren at her side. “This is that omega from before, remember?” 

“I’d _hope_ you remember. You had a hand in manhandling the poor girl,” the blonde snorted, rolling her pale eyes. Looking down at Rey, she raised an eyebrow. “What’s up? Did you need something?” 

“I’m pretty sure Kylo said she was allowed in. Or something like that. I dunno. I was doing my best to _not_ look at what he was doing,” Zoie said, grimacing at the state her king had been in. “We should probably check to make sure Baz hasn’t sunk her teeth into him too hard. Crazy bitch, that one.” 

“Be my guest. I’m not going near the third floor until he comes down from it. _No thank you_.” Shaking her head again, Jade regarded Rey once more. “So...what did you need?” 

“Oh,” Rey said quietly, feeling incredibly stupid now. Of course he would come back here and do _that._ “I just, uhm, needed to talk to him. But I guess now isn't a good time.”

Her chest clenched painfully and she glanced down at her feet for a moment before travelling to her staff next. She chewed on the inside of her cheek as she took a step back from Zoie and Jade. 

Jade frowned, scenting the sudden despair rolling off the young omega. She nudged Zoie. “Hey, go somewhere else.” 

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” the strawberry blonde agreed, immediately turning heel to go into the building. 

“Can I talk to you? Do you mind, I mean?” Jade asked. 

“Uh, sure,” Rey shrugged, watching Zoie go before turning back to the blonde in front of her. “No, I don't mind.”

“Let’s go...over here,” Jade said, placing her hand on the small of Rey’s back to lead her to a little store across the street where she knew there was a nice back room for sitting. “I’m Jade, by the way. Jade Ren. Former brain surgeon, if you can believe it.” 

“Wow,” Rey replied in surprise. So Kylo was a doctor and so was Jade. She wondered if the rest of his group was made up of more doctors as well or if it was just a coincidence. 

As they entered the store, she felt a slight prickle of anxiety at being alone with this woman she'd never met before today. “So...what did you want to talk about?” she asked as she settled down in a chair. 

“Ben, mostly,” Jade replied easily. “Or, sorry, _Kylo_. I knew him as Ben, though. Dr. Benjamin Anakin Solo: Alpha/Omega Health and Studies. We weren’t exactly colleagues, different fields of study and all, but we knew each other through the University of Coruscant. That’s how we connected after—anyway, that’s beside the point. What _is_ the point is that he disappeared to track your scent for two days, and then when he came home, he looked wrecked out of his mind and immediately grabbed alcohol, which _he_ banned, and Bazine, who he _loathes_ , and then holed himself up in his room for days with her. So I gotta say, I’m curious to know what happened between you two that caused my king to eschew his values with such gusto.” 

Rey felt herself flush under the other woman’s gaze and she picked at some thread on her leg nervously. “I...he...we had a disagreement,” she replied lowly, looking down at her hands. “I never go through my heats with anyone, ever. Not even my best friend, who's also an alpha. Anyway, he decided he wanted to take up a post outside of the place I'd locked myself. We talked a little, and he said that I was his biologically compatible mate. I told him to go home. So he did.”

She had a hard time looking up, not wanting to see whatever expression was on the other woman’s face. She already felt like shit enough that apparently he'd come home to drink and fuck some other person. So much for being mates and all that bullshit, then. 

“Damnit, Ben,” Jade muttered darkly, scowling in the direction of city hall. “He’s the most dramatic person I’ve ever met. I mean, what kind of guy does the whole half up hair thing, if not for attention?" She said this mostly to herself, words she'd scoffed before. "So I guess I believe that he’d handle your rejection like...well, like that. He put so much work and research in the concept of mates and compatibility that I can imagine he’d flip the moment his doesn’t want him. He’s so extra, I swear.” Sighing, Jade looked back at Rey. “I don't suppose I can convince you to overlook this lapse in character? For him to both drink _and_ go to Bazine...you must have shattered his heart into a million pieces. But it’s his fault and I’m sure he knows that.” 

Rey shrugged, looking away. 

“It was his choice to go do...that. And for the record, I didn't say I didn't want him; I said I wouldn't go through my heat with him. Which I don't feel like I'm being too difficult with. I barely know him,” she mumbled. “He gets mad and hurt at me, so he goes and jumps in bed with someone you say he hates. So...I fail to see the logic there.”

Jade dared to laugh. “Did you _tell_ him that you weren’t rejecting him completely? Or did you just ask him to go?”

Rey thought back to the conversation, trying to remember it through the various lust-filled hazes that had occurred since then. “I believe my exact words were 'Go home, Kylo. I'll see you later’. So no, I didn't, but I guess I can see how he would take it as such. I don't do heats with other people, but he seems like a decent enough guy. I also just have an aversion to alphas, so that's saying something from me.”

She also didn't know what was worse; to talk to Kylo now and have the knowledge that he'd immediately gone to fuck someone else (which really _shouldn't_ bother her, and it _didn't,_ thank you), or to never see him again. Because she could still smell him, his scent lingering with her. Why did he have to smell so fucking good?

“Men are simple creatures. Even the ones with one and a half PhDs like to take the things women say at face value. You rejected him, completely and totally, in his eyes, and he’s up there, trying to forget that hurt. He’s an idiot, I will back you up on that completely, but he’s also passionate. He doesn’t do things in half measures, he never has. If he scented you out to be his mate, then he fully expected you to see that, too, and to be open to it. He definitely did not expect you to ask him to abandon you during your heat. The fact that you didn’t want him to protect you, at the very least, tells him that you do not think he is worthy enough to do so,” Jade said. 

Rey sighed, rubbing her face with both hands. What a mess. She should just go home and forget this whole thing, really. Just forget about it and move on. But that would mean that some alpha _(her_ alpha, apparently), was hurting and she'd caused that. 

Groaning, she dropped her hands and looked to Jade. “So what am I supposed to do? Just go up there and rip him off of whatever woman he's with and say 'look here, you big dummy’ and just offer myself up to him?”

Jade laughed again, a full chuckle coming from deep in her belly. “I mean, I know Zoie would happily accompany you on that. But you need to do what you think will achieve what you desire most. If you want to confront him, right now, I will make that happen. If you’d rather go home and think, he’ll never know we spoke. If you want to rip out some of Bazine’s hair...get in line.” 

“What would _you_ do? Assuming you were an omega with abandonment issues and a sticky past,” Rey asked, looking up at the blonde woman with an imploring expression. 

Jade smiled fondly down at the girl, the alpha in her responding to the omega in the other. Holding Rey’s gaze, hard gray peering into curious hazel, she answered, “I’d rip the other omega off my alpha and make sure no one ever abandons me again.” 

Rey moaned at the idea, but nodded. “I don't know about going that far, but it was a miscommunication, and he's obviously suffering. So...take me up there, I guess. I don't even know what I'm going to say, and I certainly don't want to see him doing _that,_ but let's go. Maybe I can trip and die on the way,” she mumbled. 

Jade smirked. “No wonder he likes you. It’s been a long time since I met an omega who was more than just compliant. Sarcasm is rare in your designation.” She rose and offered a hand to Rey, ever an alpha trying to do anything for an omega. “Let’s go. I’ll send one of the boys ahead to make sure we don’t run into anything unsavory.” 

“Great,” Rey said as she took the hand up, immediately dropping it back down to her side. “I bet he's gonna be salty as fuck. If he's going to be petty, then I'm just going to leave. Just so you know.”

“Well, we’ll see,” Jade shrugged. She knew the type of person Ben was when he was drunk, and she wasn’t sure how to explain that to Rey, so she didn’t. They’d find out soon, anyway. 

When they entered city hall, Jade paused at the entryway. “We’re in luck. She’s gone.” 

“Kunzite scared her off,” Zoie supplied with a grin as she approached them. “Told her he was sick of her howling and so was Kylo. She looked ready to argue, but Kylo actually _agreed_ , to her _face,_ and she ran off crying. It was _beautiful_.” 

“Oh _goody,”_ Rey muttered sarcastically. If Kylo was in such an assholeish mood to willingly make omegas cry, then he was going to be an absolute _joy._ Whatever, she'd just say her piece and go. Stupid fucking alphas and their egos. 

Although, from what she'd heard so far, this Bazine had it coming. Even so, the woman had to have felt humiliated. Rey couldn't believe it, but she felt a pang of sympathy for her. 

She shot a look at Zoie, remembering her from her first 'trek’ to this building. Obviously, she'd seen her before disappearing off with Jade, but being face to face with her again put her on edge. 

Zoie felt Rey’s gaze and she groaned, rolling her eyes. “Ugh, _what!?_ Do you want an apology or something? Because you’re not getting one. Kylo kicked my fucking _ass_ for what we did to you, and I wasn’t even the one carrying you! So sorry, Omega, but you’re not getting shit from me.” 

“I'll take your apology for no apology _as_ an apology. So thank you, Zoie. I forgive you,” Rey said with a cheeky smile.

Zoie glared down at the girl. “This one is clever. Almost _too_ clever.” 

“Go fuck with Kunz, Zoie. Leave us be,” Jade shooed. As she led Rey over to the stairs, she leaned in to whisper near her ear. “For your sake, pray you never _are_ around when they do. Two alphas fuckin' is... _loud_.” 

Rey couldn't help but smile at that, following her up the stairs. This building was massively opulent; obviously it had been filled with wealthy politicians at one point in time, but no longer. 

“I don't even know what I'm going to say,” she muttered to herself as she trudged up each step. What does one say to their supposedly perfect mate when you didn't even know for sure what you were doing with your own life? She wasn't sure if she liked Kylo like that (definitely not if he was being an asshole), but she _did_ feel drawn to him. She wasn't just going to fall into his arms, either, and she still didn't want to ride out a heat with him, but thankfully her next one wasn't for months. 

“Whatever you want to say. Although, if I were you, I’d start with berating the moron for drinking and knotting another omega. I know rejection stings and all, and it's _almost,_ like, the tiniest almost ever, endearing that he was so heartbroken he went to that much of an extreme, but still.” Jade shrugged. “But it’s up to you. After all, omegas hold all the power.” 

They stopped just outside of a door somewhere on the third floor, and Rey just stared at it, trying to muster up the courage to do something. Why was she here, again? Why was she trying to soothe this dumb alpha’s emotions? Well for one, because drinking in excess was never good, and apparently it led to fucking omegas he hated, so—

She knocked on the door, the sound harder and more confident than she felt. 

“Good luck!” Jade said, before promptly getting the _fuck_ out of there. 

“Thanks, Jade,” Rey mumbled, unsure if she was supposed to open the door or not. She couldn't hear anything from inside—okay, maybe that was a smashing bottle. 

Rolling her eyes, she pushed the door open until it hit the wall behind it and barged in. “What the hell do you think you're doing?”

Kylo jumped at the loud noise, hackles raised immediately to attack the threat. As his vision cleared, he realized what _exactly_ that threat was and he lobbed a sneer at her. 

“What do _you_ care? This isn’t your pack and I’m not your alpha. Go away, Rey,” he grumbled. The pain was just beginning to become less than life-threatening and then she had to come in and _ruin that!_ Fuck biology for making _her_ his perfect match. She was the fucking worst. 

“No,” she snapped back, slamming the door shut behind her. “And you wanna know _why?_ Because you're being an idiot.”

She was glad she'd been expecting petty, because he was a mean drunk. That was good to know. Either way, she found her spine and stalked up to him, jamming her finger into his chest. “You look like hell, and again, you're being an _idiot.”_

He caught her wrist in one of his hands, still having enough sense to keep his hold firm but gentle. He couldn’t hurt her. No matter how much she tore him apart, he couldn’t hurt her. 

“I look like however I want to look and _you_ look like _that_ and that’s just where this whole bullshit began. With _you_ looking so beautiful and full of fire and not here to take shit from anyone and exactly what I always imagined my mate would look like. Just fucking _perfect_. And fuck _you_ , again, as I have many fancy degrees that say I’m _highly_ intelligent and you’re just mean!” he ranted. 

She tugged on her arm, glowering up at him when it didn't prove useful. “Fuck _me?_ Fuck _you,_ Kylo! Look at you—you're a fucking mess. All because you thought I was rejecting you, apparently. So yeah, you're being pretty dumb right about now. Drinking yourself into a stupor and fucking that omega. How many times did you knot her, Kylo? Four? _Five?”_ she snarled back, pushing at his chest to get her arm free. 

Although that stupid part of her brain was over there preening because he'd said she was beautiful. No, she was _mad,_ damn it! She couldn't be flattered by some drunken comment. Although Jade had said he was brutally honest when drunk…

“You _did!_ You rejected me at every possible turn! You don’t want me, Rey!” he hollered, dropping her wrist roughly. “No one ever wanted me. Not them, not _you_ , so just go away!” 

He turned to stalk back towards his bed, his chest tight as a sob broke past his lips. He didn’t care if she saw him cry. What did it matter? She didn’t think he was good enough before, so what did it matter if she saw how weak he really was. Sinking down into his bed, he cried freely, pulling a pillow forward to crush to his chest. 

“They never wanted me. No one ever wanted me,” he said quietly to himself. 

Shocked to see him actually _crying,_ Rey just gaped for a moment. She wasn't really good with crying people, to be honest, but the sight of this big strong alpha muttering the same thing she'd often told herself hit a nerve. 

“No one ever wanted me, either,” she said, just as quietly, hesitantly sitting on the bed behind him. Her hand reached out to hover over his back before she finally let herself touch him. She rubbed his back in soft circular motions, her inner omega pleased that she was doing _something_ to comfort her alpha.

Her alpha? Ugh, she'd have a talk with that omega brain later. 

“That's why I have issues. That's why you think I rejected you. I'm not good at making attachments, because people leave. It takes me a while to warm up. Me not wanting to have a heat with you was _not_ rejection. Not fully. It was more of a—of a 'not right now’ statement. I'd rather get to know you first. Because who knows, maybe you'll end up leaving me. Maybe we aren't really compatible, despite what biology says. I don't know. But the short truth is that I'm afraid of you, Kylo,” she whispered, kicking a bottle with her foot. 

He turned around abruptly, looking up at her through watery eyes. Sniffling, he squeaked out, “I made you afraid of me? Gods, Rey, I’m so... _stupid_. That’s not what I want. Your alpha should make you feel comfortable and safe, not scared, and I—fuck.” 

“Yeah, you 'fuck’ all right. For days, apparently,” she replied, shaking her head. “It’s not that I'm afraid of _you,_ more that I'm afraid of what you can do to me. You can cripple me emotionally, and I'm not in a place where I can let that happen. My parents threw me away like garbage. I've been on my own ever since, really, but I found friends. And you—you need to sleep this alcohol off,” she said gently, reaching up to grab the pillow from his chest to tuck it under his head. 

“You’re going to leave the moment I do,” he accused, pouting in anger. She thought she was just sooooooo smart, trying to get him to fall asleep so she could go. “You’re going to leave and not come back.” 

Sighing in frustration, she shook her head. “You need to shut up now. I'm going to stay here until you sober the fuck up, and _then_ I'm going to go back to my friends. And I _can't_ come back, because I'm not part of your pack, Kylo. Your rules, not mine,” she grumbled at him. She crawled up higher onto the bed after kicking her boots off and then changed her mind. The bed was...wet, and it smelled—oh _god._ She made a face and scrambled off quickly. “And I'm not sitting in another person’s orgasm juice, thank you. So I'll sit on the floor.”

“I’ll sit with you,” he mumbled, immediately rolling off the bed to be at her side. He _was_ tired and he wanted to be with her, even if she didn’t want to be with him. He curled up beside her, but made sure not to touch her in any way. He couldn’t touch her. She wasn’t his to touch.

“I didn’t knot her,” he said after a moment of silence. “I tried to, I wanted to try to erase my pain, but she smelled wrong and I just couldn’t.”

“That's…” she trailed off, unsure of what she should say. She was glad he didn't knot her, but she was also hurt because he tried, but then she started examining _why_ that hurt and she just didn't want to hurt at all right now. “—good,” she finally settled on. “That's good, I suppose. But really, trying to explain something while in heat isn't exactly the easiest,” she said, going back to the previous conversation. A chill shot down her back, now that she wasn't outside in the blistering heat and her anger wasn't firing her up. 

“For what it's worth, though, there's nothing _un_ desirable about you. You're incredibly attractive and you smell—you smell really fucking good, okay?” she said in a rush, looking down at her toes.

He smiled softly up at her, sleep and alcohol buzzing at the edges of his brain. “So do you. No one has ever smelled so perfectly to me like you do. And you’re gorgeous, Rey. So, so beautiful. That fire that burns in you makes you even more so.” 

She gave him a hesitant smile back. He looked so vulnerable and _soft,_ curled up beside her. She remembered reading something that said alphas were only soft for their omegas, but she figured part of it was the alcohol, too. 

“You know...the other day, in between the waves, I had a really hard time not coming out there to sit with you. I never really saw myself as the clingy type, but it gets really bad then and—you look like you could use it right now, and I…” she trailed off, chewing at her lip. 

He blinked at her a few times, trying to discern if he’d already fallen asleep. “Are you asking to lay with me? You may, if you’d like. And I promise not to touch you.” He lifted his hands up as if to prove his point. 

Nodding slightly to herself, she hopped up to at least retrieve his pillow. Placing it on the floor by his head, she sat back down and slipped lower so that she was on her back as well, their sides touching. They were close enough to share the pillow if needed, but she didn't mind either way. Gently, keeping her movements slow and careful, she took one of his hands in hers and lowered it down in between them, just holding it as they stared up at the ceiling. 

“I'm not rejecting you, Kylo,” she said softly. “I just have a lot of baggage and a lot on my plate.”

“I can help. I want to help. Wanna be a good alpha for you,” he mumbled, exhaustion beginning to settle in, hard. 

“Go to sleep. I'll still be here when you wake up,” she told him, keeping her tone soft. “And no more drinking.”

“No drinking,” he repeated, his voice barely a whisper now. 

Smiling faintly to herself, she wondered what in the world she had gotten herself into. If she'd never gone out that day, she never would have met him, and while they had their ups and downs, she could tell he was just a man that needed someone to care about him.

And she was just a girl, needing the exact same thing. 

It wasn't long until she heard his breathing turn heavier with sleep. She _could_ easily make her escape, but she'd told him she wouldn't, and she was still somewhat curious to see how this conversation would go once he was sober again. Honestly, she _was_ hurt that he'd gone and fucked Bazine a bunch of times, but there was nothing to be done about it now. Only time would tell, she supposed. 

She turned her head to the side, watching the rise and fall of his chest. He had strong breaths, the sign of an alpha who trained long and hard to achieve his physique. Able to see the outline of his massive pectorals through his dirty shirt, she drifted her attention slowly upwards. He had red, plush looking lips, slightly parted as he slept. Moving over to the side of his face, she noticed the slight stubble he had going, probably from a distinct lack of a want to shave while drunk. At least he hadn't tried to do that. Next came the moles on his face, a few right by his jaw where it connected to his ear and then a few more on the right side of his face by his nose. It was endearing, and the more she looked, the more she saw—scattered across one brow, down the line of his neck. 

He had long, full lashes, now closed as he slumbered. His hair was raven black, a deep, midnight color that looked so, _so_ soft. 

She was unsure of how long she laid there, simply watching him, the weight of his hand in hers, his body heat so tantalizingly close. She _was_ getting tired as well, though, but she knew he'd probably have a huge hangover when he got up. It was still probably midday at the most, so it would probably be before dark before he finally stirred. She'd have to see if maybe there was some sort of painkiller and water around for him when he awoke. 

Gently releasing his hand, she stood up and quickly rushed to a door inside the bedroom that she guessed was a bathroom. Surely he had a medicine cabinet or something, right? 

The bathroom itself was... _large,_ to put it bluntly. Large enough for a man of his size to move comfortably. It had tiled floors, a huge tub that could fit at least four people like a jacuzzi. There was also a separate shower with glass panels and what looked like a fountain head inside. She gawked for a moment like an idiot before shaking her head and looking around.

Noticing there was a cup by the sink, she grabbed it and filled it before setting it aside while she went back to search for painkillers. Finally finding some in a little white bottle, she poured out a few and grabbed the water.

Rushing back out to the bedroom, she set them on the nightstand for him and settled back down beside him. She was trying to ignore the musty smell of sex in the room, trying not to think about what that or any of this meant for right now. She slid her hand back into his and held it again, eventually letting her eyes slip shut. It took far less time than she'd have imagined, but sure enough, soon she was out like a light.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, it's really fucking sad that I have to turn comment moderation on because a certain person can't just _let it go_. Many of you that know me know that I am not a vindictive person, but Jesus Christ, it's a work of _fiction_. You can hate the story or certain events in it all you want, but to spam comments about it? Grow the fuck up.

Kylo awoke slowly, the bright light stinging his sensitive eyes. He was interrupted mid-hiss at this, however, when he caught a scent next to him. _Her_ scent. The scent of his omega filled his nostrils, so strong and close, and he dared to open his eyes. He was further shocked, then, to find her curled up against him. As he pulled back a bit, a fond smile crossed his face. She looked so small, curled up in a ball with her head buried in his chest. He lifted a hand to touch her, to brush some of her hair away from her face, but just before he did, he remembered bits of pieces of their conversation from last night and he remembered promising, rather explicitly, that he would not touch her. So he dropped his hand to his hip and continued to stare down at her, observing her in this blissful, beautiful state of sleepiness. 

He couldn’t quite remember what brought her into his room, although he did remember her telling him that he was an idiot. He was, he knew that. Although he had to wonder what claim she had on him in this moment, why she felt like it was necessary to call him out when she had rejected him. Same as he had no right to lash out because she’d rejected him, she had no right to come at him and confront him, and then make things more confusing by sleeping with him on the floor. She should have just said her piece and gone. He didn’t need her clouding his mind anymore. She’d already wasted so much of his time, why was she trying to waste more? She didn’t want him. 

Except...except, he remembered her saying that she did. She said that she _wasn’t_ rejecting him, she just had a lot of baggage. He was pretty sure he remembered saying that he’d help her with it. The memory of that melted his insides and he twitched to hold her close. But he wouldn’t. He’d promised. 

He grimaced as he caught the scent of Bazine in the room. Damnit. He knew it was stupid to seek the clingy omega out to handle his problems. He was even more stupid to drink. Fuck, there was a reason he’d banned alcohol amongst his pack, and this only solidified that further. He would need to get a new bed, and soon. He would also need to apologize to Bazine. And Rey. 

With great care, he pried himself away from Rey and began to strip the bed. He checked on her constantly, making sure she wasn’t disturbed by the rustling. As soon as the bed was bare, he hoisted the mattress up and began to move it towards the door. The sooner Bazine’s scent was out of here, the better. As he pushed it out into the hallway, he left a note for the others to dispose of it ASAP, and to bring him a new one. While he was sure they’d complain, he also knew that they understood. 

Next thing up was food. He pulled a string by his door, alerting the kitchen that he was hungry. As king alpha, he was always brought a large portion of food, so he knew he’d have enough to share with her. Heading into his bathroom, he took a quick shower, long since used to the freezing temperatures. He was just grateful that they’d managed to keep plumbing active, he couldn’t care about it being hot. 

 

* * *

 

Waking up, sore and stiff from sleeping on another hard surface, Rey snuggled deeper into the pillow, letting out a small sigh of contentment. Until she realized who this pillow smelled like, and she remembered where she was. Eyes popping open, she sat upright and looked around, not seeing any sign of him or anyone else. And the mattress on his bed was gone. That was a relief, at least. With the smell of that other woman out of here, Rey could breathe a little easier.

Rubbing her lower back, she groaned softly and stretched as much as she was able while sitting.

It was a moment later that she heard the sound of water running. Oh, so he must be showering or something. Well, no matter. She could at least wait for him to come out; she'd be pissed if he just barged in on her, so might as well give him the same courtesy. 

Scooting back up against the wall, she stretched her legs out in front of her and sighed, simply letting her eyes dart around the room curiously. 

It was ridiculous, she decided after a few moments. That bed was entirely too massive. Everything was massive, really, but maybe it was just because she was sitting on the floor. 

Suddenly, she felt a little more apprehensive about having this talk with him while he was sober, where he could carefully calculate some sort of biting response intended to hurt rather than just hurling the first words that came to him in a drunken moment. 

Rubbing a towel over his head, hoping to shake out the rest of the water, he exited the bathroom, wondering if the food had arrived yet. He came to an abrupt halt, however, when he saw Rey sitting there, wide awake. He immediately dropped his hand down to the towel around his waist, holding the knot as if it would spontaneously try to come undone. 

“Good morning,” he said, his voice gruff and low. 

Eyes going wide at the sight of him wearing _so little clothing,_ she averted her gaze and nodded once. 

“Good evening is more like it. There’s some painkillers for you there,” she said, gesturing to the nightstand where she'd lain the items out earlier. 

He smiled at that, a crooked thing. “That was very kind of you. And thank you, for staying. We need to have a discussion.”

He crossed the room to the nightstand and swallowed down the pills, turning to look at her. Hating that she was so far down, he held his hand out for her. 

Looking at it for a long moment, she finally slipped hers into it and allowed him to pull her up. 

“Yeah, I think we do, too,” she replied, immediately chewing at her lip again. Fuck, he was so intimidating, even when he wasn't really trying to be. He'd been so vulnerable last night and it had softened something inside of her as well, but she was determined for this to not end in a screaming match. 

“I apologize for what I did before, during, and after your heat. I should not have pursued you as if you were already mine, I should not have forced my protection on you when you did not desire it, and I should not have let my guard down like that in front of you earlier. I hope that, when you leave here today, you do not remember my actions and hold those against me as the type of alpha I am for my pack. I was not in my right mind. I’d like to blame biology and chemistry, but that is the coward’s way out. The fault is totally mine,” Kylo said. 

“I appreciate the honesty,” she replied, looking up into those soulful, passionate eyes of his. “I meant what I said earlier, though. I have issues with forming attachments to people, and I don't know how to accept help sometimes. Especially in this day and age, because you never know what sort of favors people ask for in exchange or what they'll lord over you. I'm not used to someone wanting to care, outside of my friends. It’s...difficult.”

“I would care for you endlessly if you’d allow it,” he whispered, quiet and sincere. “And I understand attachment issues. I vaguely recall making a great fool of myself last night and saying something about no one wanting me—it was my parents. My parents always put their jobs first and me somewhere around fifth. They foisted me off on my uncle when I was twelve, just so that they would not have to handle me anymore, because I was causing strain in their relationship. Since knowing that the people who are biologically programmed to love me could not manage to, I find that I don’t attach to others very well, either.” 

“You're hardly a fool for baring your feelings, Kylo,” she said gently, glancing down at her fingers she was nervously twisting together on her hands. “I'm sorry they did that to you, though. You don't deserve it—no kid does.”

That irritated her nearly as much as her own parents, knowing that his hardly paid attention to him. She could only imagine what his life was like, lonely in a room full of other people. At least he had other people. Whatever, it didn't matter. It wouldn't do to sit there and compare issues when they both ended up with nothing in the end. 

“The same is said for you. I’m sorry your parents also threw you away,” he murmured. 

Thankfully, a knock on his door spared them any further awkwardness. He crossed the room swiftly to the door, taking the waiting tray. He noticed with a pleased nod that the mattress was already gone. Good. The further away it was, the better. He brought the food in and over to the small table he had off to the side. 

“Come and eat,” he said, setting the food out.

Shaking her head slightly, she stood rooted to the spot. “I can't eat your food. I'll be fine,” she protested. Even though she was ravenous, she still didn't want to make it to where she owed anyone anything. 

“You should eat. I got food for us both,” he said. He sighed then, shaking his head. “But if you do not want to, you don’t have to. It’s your choice. I just would rather you not go hungry in my presence, and I was raised to not eat in front of those who are also not eating.” 

Shoulders slumping in defeat (because he really didn't have to convince her very hard), Rey wandered over to sit down across from him, eyes resting on the various types of food. There was any manner of variety to choose from, but what struck her was the fact that there was fruit on the tray. Actual. Fruit. 

She tried to be at least somewhat refined, to wait for some sort of signal or something that it was okay to grab something instead of just hoovering everything up like a vacuum cleaner. 

“So, where do we go from here?” she asked, keeping her eyes on the table. 

“However you’d like to proceed, we may. Omegas have all the power, after all,” he replied. “Help yourself, Rey. You can have as much as you’d like of anything you’d like.” 

Sensing that there might be a dual meaning in his last statement, Rey frowned slightly as she analyzed the words. Still thinking, her hand shot out quick as lightning to snatch up an apple, and she bit into it, nearly crying at how good it was. In the desert, it was hot and dry, not really a good spot for apple trees. And holy shit, there were crackers and some other actual food items as well! Feeling very much like a dragon with a hoard of gold—food in this case—in front of her, Rey nearly shoved everything she could into her mouth. Never knew when she'd be given the opportunity to eat this well again, after all. 

Each flavor was something delicate and amazing on her tongue, but what she wouldn't give for some fucking chocolate to go on top of it. Looking up a minute later, she realized just how unattractive she was probably being and she flushed, making an attempt to slow down her chewing and pretend like she hadn't grown up without much access to food. 

“This is, uh...really good,” she fumbled in embarrassment. Somehow, putting on such a display in front of an alpha _king,_ even if he was her supposed mate, seemed wrong. 

“We’ve worked very hard on getting food back to their previous standards. We have working electricity and water, and we have several farms under our control. We’re...we’re doing what we can to put the world back together. That’s what my pack aims for. My Knights and I are all scientists and medical professionals, military and agricultural. They were my friends and contacts before the virus, members of an elite country club. We were the lucky ones who survived. We hope to create a better world for our children, whenever we are all lucky to have any,” he explained. 

Rey nodded along. It all made sense, of course. She'd noticed how he, Jade, and Zoie were doctors, so it all came together that yes, they were all doctors of some sort. That was pretty exciting, honestly, to have the best minds trying to rebuild the world into something better than it had been. But… 

“So you want kids, then?” she asked, trying to keep her own tone casual despite the anxiety that was suddenly lurking in her stomach. 

“Of course I do. An alpha’s purpose is to mate and produce offspring, to care for his family. I’ve always wanted to give a child the life I was denied,” he said. “Multiple, ideally. I always wished I had siblings.” 

Chewing on her lip, she nodded softly while picking at a piece of what looked like a biscuit. “Multiple,” she repeated to herself, knowing that word could have different meanings to different people. For example, he could think of multiple as twenty kids, while she thought of it as just two. That was sort of something to know, though, if she was even _considering_ attempting something with him. She could at least agree to try though, right? Clearly finding your perfect mate was a big deal, especially to a man of science like himself. 

“If—if I said I would be willing to try and see where this…biologically compatible mate thing was going to go, what would _you_ say?” she asked, finally looking up at him. 

“I’d say that I hope you do not feel coerced in any way by my actions. And we would take this at the pace that feels the most comfortable to you. You have six more months until your fertility peaks again, and we can wait that long to decide if we allow our relationship to become intimate in that way. And if you are not ready by then, we will wait another six months. Not that heat sex is the only sex I desire to have with you, but it is the most ideal time for a mating bite,” he replied. 

She'd completely forgotten that people actually bit each other. Somehow, she'd managed to repress that thought, knowing she'd probably never find an alpha she felt comfortable with. But no, it was a very real thing, and one thing he _obviously_ wanted to do. 

“Oh yeah,” she mumbled, blushing a deep shade of red. “I'd forgotten all about marking, honestly.”

“If it makes you uncomfortable, we...we do not have to. But it has its benefits. The mating bite opens up a unique connection between the two involved parties, allowing them to sense emotions in varying degrees to accuracy depending on proximity. I once studied an alpha/omega mated pair who were biologically perfect for one another who could sense the emotions of one another with complete accuracy from twenty-five miles away. It was... _beautiful_ watching them interact with one another. They didn’t need words, only to glance at each other. I’ve never felt so blessed as a scientist to get to experience such an incredible phenomenon in person,” he said, smiling fondly at the memory. He’d felt such a high after he concluded his study on them, on knowing that that could possibly be _him_ one day. He was younger, then, idealistic in his early twenties.

She couldn't help the smile that lit her own face in response, seeing him happy. Alpha was content, which meant that everything was fine, her stupid brain said. 

“That sounds amazing. I wouldn't mind having that connection one day, just need to go through some other things first,” she replied earnestly. If she was going to give this a serious go, and she was leaning more towards yes the more he kept giving her options, then she would want to go all the way, if it worked out. 

In a sense, it was like an arranged marriage, which people did all the time. It was simply arranged by a force of nature rather than people. Who knew, maybe mother nature knew more about what she was doing when pairing people up than actual people did? They were biologically perfect together, right? Wouldn't part of that translate into personality, as well? As far as she could tell, they were fairly similar, his flair for the dramatic aside. 

“How would you like to proceed, Rey? Do you want to be courted, to be wooed properly? I regret that I cannot take you on a coffee date where we can discuss our interests in low tones while listening to the gentle acoustic that the staff prefers and sipping our desired caffeinated beverages. I can probably find some ambient sounds of that, if you’d like?” he offered with something of a smirk. 

“Are you making fun of me?” Rey asked, unable to keep the smile off her face as she tried to give him a hard look. “They were right—romance truly _is_ dead. Everyone’s all up in arms about continuing the survival of the species that those of us that prefer a softer approach to being instantly knotted get _laughed_ at!”

He chuckled softly. “I hear a good knotting is an _excellent_ stress reliever. And in these hard times, who can pass up a guaranteed stress relief?” 

“You're cute,” she rolled her eyes. “I'm in no rush when it comes to that. The last experience wasn't...pleasant.”

Poking the food around in her hand, she popped a little more into her mouth for a distraction. There she had to go again, ruining a good time because she just had to be truthful. Stupid, Rey. 

“Do you know if he survived the virus?” Kylo asked, his expression going from playful to dark in the blink of the eye. 

She shrugged. “Dunno. It's possible, I guess. I never bothered to go look, really. I had zero desire to go back there—and no, you don't have to go looking, if that's what you're thinking.”

“Any alpha who forces himself upon another, _especially_ like that, does not deserve to continue being an alpha. A simple castration will do the trick,” he said, dead serious. “We do not need those like him in our new world. I do not want our children growing up in a world where alphas like him continue along unpunished.” 

She stared down at the table for a long moment, tracing her fingers along the wood grain. 

Rey didn't think of herself as ruthless, or merciless, but that being said, she also didn't want that man to be able to do that to other omegas if he was still alive. 

“I'll tell you where he was last on one condition,” she said slowly, lifting her eyes up to meet his. 

“And what would that be, Rey?” he asked, holding her gaze steadily. 

“I want to go with,” she replied, her tone quiet but firm. 

A slow smirk slid across his face. “Absolutely. I would never deny you the pleasure of extracting revenge on your own.” _The perfect omega_ , his alpha side purred. 

Nodding once, she leaned back in her chair and swirled her finger around on the tabletop again, going back to following each grain of the wood. “Yeah, so don't give me a reason to seek revenge on you,” she mumbled, trying to somewhat lighten the mood. 

“The same advice to you,” he smirked back at her. “But back to the previous point, my promise to not touch you without your previous consent still stands. There will be no knotting from me, until you’ve expressly asked for it.” 

Thinking that this sounded just like something out of a movie where two people negotiated a contract before entering into a relationship, she sighed. This felt so...forced, in a way. 

“Fine, that's fair. I don't mind touching, however, I have spots that I do _not_ want to be touched. Don't touch my back, ever. Don't touch my glands without asking, but that's not a _hard_ no. And please, for the love of everything, take things somewhat slow. My permission is not grounds for you to jump out of your seat and slam me against the nearest wall. I'm still a bit miffed about the other omega,” she admitted, glad that at least the smell from his bed was gone and that he'd showered to smell like himself again. 

“I should ask why it mattered to you, as we held no claim on one another until mere moments ago, but I think it’s best to just move on from that. Again, all I can do is apologize. I was just—I  was torn up at the idea that you did not want me and I sought the attention of someone who did,” he said, frowning deeply. 

“Because contrary to how it may look, I _do_ feel it, too—this pull to you. And maybe because I just _might_ believe you about this perfect mate stuff, and yeah, it hurts to know that we had a misunderstanding _so_ bad before anything could even hope to start, that you went off to fuck someone else. It doesn't make me very hopeful for our future, if you can see where I'm coming from. I understand where you were coming from, just asking you to look at it from my perspective, you know?” she sighed, twiddling her thumbs back and forth. 

“I thought I’d never see you again and I—I needed your smell gone from my nose. I needed to forget you before you consumed me,” he said quietly. “You bewitched me too quickly, Rey.”

Fighting off the urge to give him a snarky comment about how the last thing she'd said to him before he stormed off was 'I’ll see you soon’, she sighed. He had that same vulnerable look to him again, the one she found more than slightly endearing. 

Looking around at the table like it had offended her, she picked up her chair and scooted it around to his side until their knees were barely touching under the table. 

“Look, I know I'm not anyone’s first pick or anything, but it is what it is, so let's make this a cordial thing, shall we? I think I'm literally going to explode at the idea of not ever smelling you again. You just—you smell like something I want to take a bite out of, and you've seen how much I love my food.”

“You have the power here, Rey. I am yours to nibble on, as you wish,” he replied. He couldn’t ignore the way his heart leapt at her nearness, at how his alpha immediately sprang forth in attention. He would do whatever she asked for in this moment if it meant he could soon-after just _touch_ her. 

Leaning in a little closer, she covered her mouth to hide a whisper as she said, “You know, you don't have to keep up with the tough guy act. It’s okay.”

Offering him a gentle smile, she held her hand out for him, remembering the way she'd held it as she fell asleep. 

He felt his face heat up at the memory of how stupidly vulnerable he’d been with her last night. “Good try, but the next time I cry, it will be in the privacy of my mate as I hold our child for the first time.” Still, he put his hand in hers. 

Rolling her eyes, she squeezed his hand gently. “I'll keep that in mind. However, I _do_ have to get back to my friends, too. I just wanted to let you know what was really going on,” she told him before adding, “And _no,_ it is not rejection.”

It was his turn to roll his eyes. “I understand. You may return to those in your pack. I’ll just be here, moping endlessly, a completely listless leader as I wait by my window for my mate to return to me.” He sighed dramatically. 

“I figured as much. Hey, maybe in ten years, when we actually get cell phones back, we can exchange phone numbers,” she snickered. “No dick pics, though, not unless you send them by postal mail. I might _actually_ be impressed if you manage to do that.”

He hummed thoughtfully, giving every appearance of giving her suggestion serious thought. “And if I get her impressed by my dick, then she’ll _have_ to jump on it, that’s the law.” 

She laughed then, shaking her head. “Apparently, so. You're the king here, you make the rules. The rest of us common folk simply _must_ obey.” 

Standing, she looked around for her staff, finding it over by the wall where they'd slept. Grabbing it, she looked at it for a moment before looking back to him again. “So you're my mate,” she said quietly, the words slowly sinking in. 

“If you’ll have me,” he agreed softly, taking slow steps towards her. He wanted to reach out and touch her, to caress her cheek and hold her close. But he would wait for her to touch him first. He didn’t want to remind her of that alpha asshole. 

For every step that he took towards her, she took one closer to him. When their chests were nearly touching, she stared at the broad expanse in front of her for a moment before biting her cheek. 

“Well...thank you. For trying to protect me, and I'm sorry that your mate is such a mess,” she said before leaning up to kiss his cheek softly. Pulling back quickly, she flushed and looked away, back down to her staff. It was as though she was suddenly _very_ interested in the beechwood it was made out of, like she was looking for any flaw that could be polished out. 

“Thank you, for taking a chance on me,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss her forehead, his hands on her shoulders. He rubbed her shoulders softly, enjoying the feeling of her warm body beneath his hands.  

She nearly melted right there, her resolve to leave almost cracking. It felt good and _right_ for him to be touching her, and she knew that could be dangerous. Especially when her instincts told her to scent him before she left. She was almost tempted, but that seemed like crossing a line this early. They were still getting to know each other, trying to learn each other’s triggers and what made them happy. She knew, on some level, that he _probably_ wouldn't mind, that he would want it, even. Everything was basically up to her, it seemed. Omegas hold all of the power, he'd said. 

Rey knew she needed to go, but she...couldn't. Her body was rooted to the spot, both sides of her mind warring against each other. 

“Can I...would it be too much for me to ask you to scent me? I understand if you don’t want me to do it to you, but I...I would like it,” he asked, looking down at her with wide, hopeful eyes. 

She was nodding before she'd even realized it, and it was apparent to her then which part of her biology had won. “How strong do you want it to be?” she asked, eyes already lingering over the gland on his neck. It was just slightly darker than the rest of him, the skin slightly rougher in texture. She knew, only because hers was the same.

“I want _everyone_ to know,” he said. He couldn’t believe she was agreeing. He couldn’t believe he was so lucky. Just when he’d thought everything was going to shit in his life, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you are upset that Rey is being too accepting of Kylo going off and fucking Bazine. Totally understandable, but at the same time, there's nothing she can do about it now, but from her going forward, she's willing to see what happens.


	6. Chapter 6

Swallowing, she nodded again, then gestured to the chair. “You should sit down so that I can...reach,” she replied in a voice she hardly recognized as her own. 

He nodded and moved towards the chair, sitting down almost too stiffly. He wasn’t sure how she wanted him, if she wanted him to spread his thighs or to keep his knees together. He laid his hands on his thighs, waiting for more from her. Just the fact that she’d agreed was enough for him, but knowing she’d agreed enthusiastically was better.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Rey set her weapon by her chair, propped up against it. With care, she began to unwrap the bandages around her arms, starting off with her upper arms and finally freeing the area around her wrist where more glands were. She kept the wraps on to help subdue her scent, though it was a half measure because her neck was still exposed and it was too hot to cover. 

Settling the strips of fabric down, she turned to him then, her arms held out almost like an offering as she stepped closer. Gently, she touched his knee until he spread his legs and she stepped between them. She didn't ask if he was sure—the scent rolling off of him assured her that yes, he really did want this. 

Starting with the areas of her wrists, she lightly dragged them along either side of his neck. This felt incredibly intimate, his face nearly at eye-level with her chest. Unsure of where to look, whether this was supposed to be something where eye contact was maintained or if she should just look somewhere over his head, she closed her eyes instead, concentrating. 

A low purr built in his chest, the rumble vibrating his entire body in pleasure. He was beyond pleased, the scent of his mate filling his nostrils and singing through his veins. After nearly a decade studying pairs, after pouring his heart and soul and mind into the science of mated pairs, he _finally_ had his. 

“God, Rey,” he rasped. 

Feeling her face heat up at the way his mouth formed those words, at how deep and delicious they sounded, she chewed on her lip and adjusted her position, pressing her thighs together. She may be just out of her heat, but if he kept talking and sounding like _that,_ it wouldn't take much to throw her back into it. 

He wanted everyone to know, though, and while her wrists were strong, it wasn't as strong as her main mating gland. She could at least give him that, right? 

“Is this okay? Am I doing it right?” she asked in a breathy whisper. He smelled like her now, but it wasn't as much as she could tell he wanted. She'd get to that part, operating on pure instinct. 

“So right, so right,” he murmured, his eyes fluttered shut. This was better than he imagined it being. He hardly tried fighting down his boner, scenting her own arousal, so close to him. He longed to pull her into his arms and kiss her, scent her, thrust up into her warm, wet—no, best not to think _that_ far. That was a while off still. 

Pleased that she was making her alpha happy, Rey smiled softly and pulled her wrists away. Now it was time to _actually_ scent him, the smell much more potent from their glands. Mustering up all of her courage, she stepped back and pushed his legs back together, very pointedly ignoring the bulge under his towel. Oh, right. He'd never gotten dressed, had he? _Oh._ Anyway, moving on, she thought as she straddled his thick legs, his erection pushing against her stomach ( _not_ that she noticed), she settled and leaned forward to rub her gland across his. She nearly gasped at how right it felt, like coming home after a long day. Part of her screamed that she should have let him help her through her heat while the other was screaming that it wasn't too late to make up for it. She could _easily_ ask him to do that now, but...why was that not a good idea again?

He couldn’t resist too much longer, and he slid his hands up behind her thighs. He kneaded her flesh gently, his fingertips just ghosting along below the swell of her ass. She had such a beautiful ass, he was so lucky to have a mate who was so beautiful. And smart. And sassy. And strong-willed. And independent. And sexy as hell. Fuck, he wanted her so badly. She was everything. Her scent was fogging his mind in the best possible way and he wanted the rest of the world to fall away so that it could just be them.

Rey jumped slightly at the contact of his hands but said nothing, not protesting. No, instead she pushed back into those hands, enjoying the warmth emanating from his hold. He was warm all over, really. As she slowly pulled back from one side of his neck, she pressed a soft kiss to his gland before repeating the rubbing motion on the other side, letting out a blissful sigh because the motion also put his smell all over her, as well. As she withdrew with another soft kiss to his skin, she looked into his face, and nearly beamed with what she saw. He looked so content, so _happy,_ and it was a really nice look for him, too.

“How was that?” she asked softly, tilting her head just so. 

“Perfect,” he rumbled lowly. He opened his eyes and felt his body erupt one step further to see the look of happiness and pleasure on her face, too. “God, Rey, you’re so perfect. My beautiful omega.” 

Flushing slightly at his praise, she lowered her gaze and nodded in acknowledgement until she realized she was staring at his bare chest. His pectorals were _obscenely_ firm, and she had to physically restrain herself from biting one. What the hell, dude! _How_ could someone possibly look that good?

 _Perfect mates,_ her brain reminded her. They were biologically programmed to think the other as attractive as humanly possible. “I should go,” she whispered softly. “Before the sun finishes setting or it’s going to take forever to find my way back.”

“Stay here?” he dared to whisper, tipping his head up to nuzzle her chin with his nose. His lips ghosted over her neck, not pressing but still touching. He longed to run his tongue over her but he resisted. He already felt like he was taking too many liberties with her. 

Her heart clenched painfully at the idea of her friends worrying about her for longer than necessary. She'd already put off going to see them, and...she couldn’t stay here. Maybe for a night, but that was pushing it, and she'd already fallen into the mindset of a happy omega too quickly in the short time she'd agreed to try this thing between them. 

Closing her eyes as his mouth brushed over her skin, she subdued a shiver, eyes fluttering. “T-that’s cheating,” she protested, though her tone held no venom before adding gently, “You know I'll have to leave sometime, Kylo.”

“Tomorrow, when it is light, I will personally see you back. Just...spend the night with me, Rey. Please,” he breathed against her gland, his tongue darting out to touch it, oh so gently.

The noise that Rey made at that could hardly be called human, lost somewhere in a whimpering keening sound as she arched slightly into his mouth, her head falling to the side to give him more access. 

“That’s _cheating!”_ she panted, gripping his broad shoulders. She felt like it was a form of manipulation in a way, and she couldn't even bring herself to be mad, but she did need to breathe. Slipping off of his lap until she tumbled into a heap on the ground, she tried to catch her breath, looking a little lost. “Okay, one…” she said between sharp gasps, “fuck you, again. Two, fine.”

“You can, if you want to,” he smirked. His eyes were dark and his alpha was nearly in full control. 

Narrowing her own eyes back at him, she pushed herself back to her feet. “If I want to,” she muttered back at him. “Maybe I'll just make you squirm instead. Can't be too hard to get off in a shower by myself, can it?”

“I was merely suggesting that we lie together, no penetration involved. _You’re_ the one who took it to sex. Naughty, naughty little omega,” he tutted, shaking his head softly at her. 

Face flaming again, Rey glowered. “I'm pretty sure it's in like every piece of literature _ever_ that there's no such thing as 'just doing something’ with innocence. You hear about it alllllllll the time. Let me massage your back! Suddenly, there's sex involved. Yeah, let's just take a shower together. Next thing you know, you're pinned up against a wall. So pardon _me,_ Kylo, but I don't believe you when you say 'lie together’,” she smirked back. 

“Did I not keep my word last night? Or while you were in heat? I have been nothing but _mostly_ honorable. The licking of your scent gland, well, I couldn’t help it. You’re delicious, Rey. I want nothing more than to be surrounded by your sent,” he said. 

“Uh huh,” she replied dubiously. “However, I'll stay, regardless. But I really, _really_ need to go in the morning, okay? I have people depending on me, just like you do.”

“I swear it by my throne, my blood, and my heart, all of which belong to you,” he promised, reaching out to take one of her hands in his. He brought it to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to it. 

“That's a pretty hefty statement,” she replied, watching him warily. He had nearly no reservations about mates, if he was willing to jump head first into it, and while she didn't blame him, she wasn't _that_ on board yet. “And since we’ve effectively slept most of the day away, what are we going to do to pass the time?”

“Learn about each other. See if this is something you truly want to pursue. If _I’m_ someone you truly want to pursue. My entire life is yours to learn about. My every embarrassment, my every awkward moment, every hope and dream I ever had,” he supplied simply.

“I like the sound of that,” Rey grinned back at him, giving his hand a soft squeeze. “So tell me something first, then. Do you prefer that I call you Kylo or Ben? I like both, but I sort of think Ben rolls off the tongue a little bit easier. And it sounds like someone I could definitely fall in love with, maybe,” she added with another shy blush. 

He smiled softly down at her, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. “Who blabbed my true name to you?” 

“That, I can't tell. Sorry, because I have to have _some_ way of getting juicy secrets around here,” she smirked back and then waited a moment before adding, “Well?”

“Ben. My mother would have been glad to hear my mate call me that. She hated the name I chose for my research. But I needed a way to differentiate my more controversial opinions from the rest of my “respectful” ones,” he said. “Controversial, like thinking that alphas can have deep, meaningful relationships with other alphas. It’s how I met two of my Knights, studying their unique relationship.” 

She tilted her head curiously, frowning as she remembered a fragment of a conversation. “Is that Zoie and Kunz?” she asked.

She had no idea how alphas made it work together; _everything_ had to be a pissing match, didn't it? Especially between those two? And...who did the knotting? Female alphas had an internal knot that held the cock inside, but wouldn't that just damage a male alpha's—deciding those were questions better left unanswered for now, she smirked softly, already filing away some information for when she needed something snappy to hurl at Zoie. 

“Yes, it is. They’re...a unique pairing. They’re almost volatile at times, but their love is shockingly pure. They’re soft with each other. It’s rather touching to see,” he said. “But they also have their omegas. They’re willing to put the fate of the future above the love they share. And the omegas are aware of the situation, so no one is under any disillusions.” 

“That's...wow, I never would have thought it possible,” Rey admitted. “I mean, I see a whole bunch of reasons why it shouldn't work, and I don't know them enough to see why it would. I'm glad for them, I suppose. Do you—do you have any books on your research? Something I might be able to take with me and read?” she asked hesitantly.

Admittedly, while Rey considered herself of average intelligence, she was actually quite clever and crafty for someone that had never finished school. The world had gone to shit and there just hadn't been time to learn about everything anymore. It was always struggling from meal to meal, much like she did now. She’d never really had a proper 'sex ed’ course in school, and anything she knew about designations was information gathered from pamphlets and crappy romance novels. 

He dropped her hands and moved to where his bookshelf was. He carefully plucked some of the books out, two published under the name Ben Solo and one under Kylo Ren. He brought them back to her, handing them over. “Keep in mind that I was young and hadn’t experienced... _this_ yet. But I was well respected in my field. One of the top, really.” 

“I wonder what the world would think of you now, now that you've found your biologically perfect mate,” she said more to herself than him as she eagerly began thumbing through the pages. She didn't want to just sit and read and suck up any time they had together, but she _did_ have questions, and who better to ask about those questions than her new doctor...boyfriend? She wasn't sure if that term was even correct, since they were mates, but she'd seen it in her books, of course. “Also, when are you getting a new bed? Because not that I'm eager to get that old mattress back, it would be nice to actually be able to _lay_ somewhere without my back threatening to break,” she smiled, quickly scanning a chapter about the composition of alpha and omega hormones before they were exposed to their mates. 

Kylo paused for a moment, listening, and then gave a curt nod. Going to his door, he opened it to find a mattress freshly delivered, along with new sheets. “It’s apparently _not_ hard to find good service this day,” he grinned. He would have to find some way to reward whoever was so prompt later. 

Rey smirked and then set the books down on the table to help him put the mattress back on the bed. 

“Apparently not. Much nicer than the bed I have in my little shack,” she said as she bent down to lift a corner of it. 

“A shack?” he gasped, pulling back in horror. “Rey, you live in a _shack!?_ You have to let me find you and yours somewhere else to live. That’s just not—I cannot abide by my mate not having a worthy roof over her head. Her _or_ her kin.

Looking at him over the piece of furniture, she rolled her eyes. “It’s fine, Ben. It keeps the sun out and if it rained, I'm fairly sure it would keep us dry. I'll manage just fine.” 

“Rey. You _have_ to want to live somewhere more. Let me find some place for you and your pack. And I don’t mean closer to me or anything, I just mean something better. _Anything_ better,” he pled. His alpha was screaming that he wasn’t providing well for his omega, that he was already failing her. He couldn’t. He simply refused to. 

Shooting him a look, she held it for a long moment before giving a defeated sigh. “I'll talk to them about it. No promises. I know you just want to help, but just remember that I've had nearly nothing my whole life. All of this change and upgrading to suddenly, maybe, being more than nothing is a bit hard to grasp.”

His heart clenched to think of his beautiful, perfect mate struggling for _anything_ in her life and he desperately wanted to fall to his knees and pledge to right all of those wrongs, but she’d just said no. He could only heave his own heavy sigh and nod. “I will keep that in mind. No diamond necklaces, then?” 

“No, no diamonds. They'll only cause trouble for when I'm out and about,” she laughed, mirth shining in her eyes. “People are so strange. What _purpose_ does a giant rock have? Purely for decoration. I like my things to be practical and useful.”

When the mattress was finally settled, she grabbed the sheet set and began to put it on, looking up at him again over the top of it. “Where'd you grow up?”

“All over, really. My mother was a politician and my father was the opposite, so we moved a lot to improve her career and avoid his. How about you?” he asked, helping her with the fitted sheet. 

She shrugged slightly. “Jakku, so I'm used to the heat. You may not have even heard of it, really. It's basically a junkyard town in the lower part of the state.”

“I’ve been there before,” he said. “In the days before the virus really took hold, I was on a research tour with Jade and Zoie to see what we could do to help. We were...unsuccessful, as you know. It was hard, facing that. Knowing that we were all trained in different medical fields but even our collective knowledge could not help.” 

“Yeah, Unkar Plutt had a tight grip on that place. No changing anything unless he allowed it. Amazing that you seem to have always been there, though. So close, but out of reach,” she said thoughtfully as she straightened, pleased at their teamwork. 

“True kismet. I was meant to find you, and all my life led me to you as often as possible,” he smiled softly, his eyes only for her. “I’m...I’m glad you survived, Rey.”

“I'm glad you survived too, Ben,” she smiled back at him. Stepping around the bed, she scooped up the books again and wandered around to stand before him. “So...which side do you usually sleep on? Or are you a hog the middle kind of person?”

“As an alpha, instinct demands that I lie closest to where the danger could be present to my mate. In this room, it is on the left. I don’t cuddle, though, or spread out. I lie on my side,” he explained. “You?” 

She shrugged slightly, glancing down at the books in her hands. “I usually curl up in a ball—lots of blankets. However, Finn and Rose have told me I have a tendency to move closer in my sleep. And you _were_ pretty comfortable earlier, so...no guarantees. Sorry in advance.”

He smirked a bit at that. “You like to sleep in a nest? What a proper little omega you are.” At her annoyed look, he held his hands up before him in defense. “I jest, surely. And I said _I_ don’t cuddle, but you are free to cuddle against me all you desire. If I happen to cuddle you back, we’ll tell no one. I’ve got an important reputation to uphold, after all. Big Bad Alpha King, and all that. Can’t let anyone know that I’d go soft for my beautiful mate.”

“No, can't have that,” she agreed with an eye roll. “You, sir, _are_ rather intimidating at first meeting, I'll give you that. Makes me wonder if you'd have thought the same thing about me had I not been so close to my heat.”

His eyes turned tender and he reached out to curl a finger beneath her chin, tilting her face up to his. “Do you think so little of yourself? You are mighty and fierce, strong and intelligent. These attributes alone would have drawn me to you, but being coupled with your beauty does not hurt.” 

That _stupid_ omega in her head was up there preening at his praise, proud that an alpha thought she was attractive. “I've simply had to do what I've had to to survive this far. My whole life has been a giant shit-show, really. Especially with this world—it changes people.”

He trailed the backs of his fingers across her cheek as he moved to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Yes, it does. I can only pray that the world we rebuild for our children is a better one, a stronger one.” 

“With you guiding everyone, I'm sure we'll make it a much better place,” she whispered, stepping closer to him until their chests were nearly touching. She peered up at him, absorbing every detail of his face again from up close. 

She was going to do something stupid. Something so incredibly, incredibly stupid. Reaching forward, her fingers curled loosely around his wrist, her lips parting as she held his scorching amber gaze. 

“We?” he asked, his words barely a rumble. He cupped her cheek gently, waiting for her to make the move she desired. He wanted only what she wanted, and nothing more. He glanced down at her lips once, anticipation singing in his veins, before holding her eyes.

“I—I want to help rebuild everything,” Rey found herself whispering. “I want to play my part in all of this. I ha-have some—oh, fuck it,” she snapped at herself before leaning up on her toes to smash her mouth against his. It was hardly refined, as any kisses she'd ever had were chaste things, usually a peck on the cheek or on the mouth, if she were to talk about past boyfriends. 

Kylo was stunned, if only for a single moment. In the next, however, he had an arm around her waist, holding her tightly to him as he took as well as he was given. He could sense her inexperience and sought to guide her, like a proper alpha should. He moulded his lips to hers, helping her understand the motions to be had during a kiss. When he licked along the seam of her lips, he was pleased that she opened, and he kept his tongue to himself as he taught her the beauty of an open-mouthed kiss. Only once he was sure she could handle more did he explore the inside, licking every inch he could. He groaned lowly—his mate tasted divine. 

While Rey had been slightly embarrassed that she didn't know the proper technique for kissing, she figured that would actually be a good thing that her alpha may like. He would probably prefer her inexperience, and she accepted every lesson he was teaching her. He was warm and soft, her hands clinging to his bare chest as she felt his tongue in her mouth. Her eyes were closed, her body pliant against his, some part of her mind in control that said _give alpha what he wants, hold still like a good omega and let him take what's his._

Her nails dug in just a bit more deeply into his chest, her pulse thundering loudly in her ears as she tried to keep her body still for him. 

He broke away to trail kisses across her jaw and down her neck, dancing around her gland but not making any contact. With her scent concentrated so heavily here, he felt almost dizzy, and the lusty beast that he was usually so good at controlling was suddenly banging at the surface, insistent that he sweep her into his arms and lie her down. He couldn't, though. He had to keep control. He couldn't risk scaring her off like that. 

“You smell so fucking good,” he growled out against the hollow of her throat, lips moving across her shoulders and her collar bones. 

Hearing his voice drop down to sound like _that_ positively liquified Rey's insides. She was approximately 99% sure he was going to send her back into heat. Her body felt warm all over, and she had that same thought about _'why is it so bad to just have sex with him, again?’_

She made something of a pathetic whine into the air beside his head, her hands instinctively reaching up to card through his silky locks. 

“So do you,” she whispered back, voice breathy. “God, you smell so good, Ben.”

“Tell your alpha what you want him to do to you, Omega. Tell me what you need from me?” he asked lowly, sucking the skin just above her heart. He could feel how it thudded, and he felt an overwhelming amount of pride and lust at knowing that he was the one who made her heart beat like this. He needed to do only what she wanted, and asking her was as good a way as any to make sure that he didn’t stray from that. 

Was there such a thing as an after-heat? Because her body was suddenly boiling again like she had another wave to go and her thighs were drenched with slick. There was no way he didn't smell it, and with that in mind, she whispered, “I want you to show me what it's like to be with a proper alpha. I want to feel you. Inside me, all over me. I want you to show me how I can take care of you as well. What you like, what you dislike.”


	7. Chapter 7

His hands on her hips gripped harder, his body immediately rigid and ready for her. Her scent, so sweet a musk, was filling his nostrils and going straight to his knot, already swelling at the base of his throbbing cock. But he had to keep a steady head. He had to be in control, here. He was her alpha, after all. 

“You want me inside of you, Omega? Do you want your alpha’s cock inside that pretty little pussy?” he asked her, holding her gaze. 

Feeling her face heat to unbearable temperatures at the way he'd phrased his question, she struggled to keep her eyes on his as embarrassment licked at her insides. Looking into his eyes, she was struck again by how sincere he seemed. He _really_ wanted to take care of her beyond just knotting her and pumping her full of kids. He was sweet and caring, and while they may have just met recently, her body vibrated with electric energy just from touching him. 

Slowly, tenderly, she cupped his jaw in both of her hands and lowered her face down towards his. Her kiss to his lips was slow and gentle, just a brush of skin back and forth before she breathed against him, “Yes. I want my alpha to show me how it can really be.”

Staying the night to learn about him meant learning about his body, too. It was a far cry from the urgency she felt within her bones, but if she was going to willingly do this, she wanted to experience how it was meant to be.

Internally, she felt slightly conflicted of him going from one sexual partner to another in the span of a few hours, and she _definitely_ needed to shower. She was dirty and grimy, and honestly, she couldn't remember the last time she had a shower. Dry shampoo was a girl's best friend, after all. She was half tempted to put a pause on this whole thing just to clean up, but he _really_ didn't seem to mind. And maybe she also wanted to make him forget all about Bazine now that she had an official claim on him. She didn't want him to be tempted to return to the other woman, and yes, it may have been petty, but that omega jealousy was trying to rear its head. 

“Get on the bed, Omega,” he growled lowly against her skin. He gripped her hips hard once more before releasing her, his eyes dark and heavy-lidded as he waited to see if she'd obey. He couldn't tell which he wanted more: for her to obey or for her to push her own agenda. He welcomed either from his perfect mate. He welcomed every last thing she decided he deserved. He was her slave, through and through. 

Standing slowly, she looked down at him as she stepped back. She admired each and every single muscle in his chest and arms on display. Repressing the shiver that went down her spine at his tone, she stepped further away until the backs of her knees hit the bed. 

When she was comfortable, she held his eyes as she reached down and began to unfasten the belt around her waist. She let it fall to the floor with a soft sound, and reached up next to begin stripping off the gauzy fabric that covered her. She slipped her boots off, becoming just a touch shorter as she pushed them aside.

Her heart was thundering in her chest as she began removing the tunic, having never been completely nude in front of someone else before. She held her breath as she worked the shirt over her head and bent down to step out of her leggings. 

Completely naked, she bit her lip and fought back the urge to cover herself from his intense gaze. Her chest was small, her hips too bony. And there was the matter of scars that she normally wasn't so self-conscious of. In front of _Ben,_ though, they seemed monumental. Slowly, she sat back on the bed, keeping her thighs together as she watched him. 

If it were possible for his pupils to completely swallow his irises, he was sure that was how he looked now. “Fuck, Rey. You're gorgeous. So fucking perfect for me, my beautiful mate.” 

His clothes were shed in a matter of moments, tossed aside thoughtlessly so that he may focus on far more important things. He was proud and terrified of his own body; his torso was especially riddled with thick knots of scar tissues, every last silvered scar and tattered bullet wound telling the story of his survival. He had once been a doctor with only scars from boyhood, things to chuckle about at the pool or in bed with the occasional bedfellow. Nearly all of those scars had been replaced by new ones, thicker and far more deadly. Even he was shocked at his own ability to survive this long, but boyhood lessons in fencing had done him well.

He didn't want to discuss _his_ body, though. he fell to his knees at the edge of the bed, gently grasping her calves and pulling her further down. He slid his hands to her ankles, dropped her right leg as both hands cradled her left foot. He could see her small scars, the remnants of blisters from either careless shoe decisions in the past or make-due decisions of the present. He loved those marks, even still. 

“These perfect feet carried you to me,” he told her lowly, leaning down to pepper light kisses over the top, lifting gently to lick at her ankle.

Eyes locked on his movements, she _did_ shiver slightly at the feeling of his tongue on her. It was a strange sensation, having his mouth over skin that was thin and sensitive, but not unwelcome. Leaning forward, she slid her hands gently over his shoulders, up the sides of his neck until her nails dragged lightly over his scalp before moving back down and down his back. 

She didn't just want this to be about her. Sure, she wanted him to show her, but she wanted to learn as well. If she was going to end up mated to him one day, then she wanted to treat his body with the same reverence he treated hers. 

“I wish they could have carried me to you sooner, rather than years after the end,” she murmured, knowing the words were true. She wished she at least knew him before, even if they hadn't been together. She wanted to see Ben in his setting, how he was before he became an alpha King. 

He smiled softly, gently setting down her left foot to move his attentions to her right. He kissed and nibbled and licked, delighting in the sounds she made. He wondered if anyone had ever made her feel like this. Would she believe him if he confessed that he'd never shown this reverence to anyone before her? 

“What matters is that I'm yours now,” he reminded her. As he licked up her calf, he sucked tiny bruises into the thick muscle there. “As you are _mine._ ” 

Placing her hand under his chin, she pulled his face up to meet her eyes. She gazed down at him, so perfectly kneeling in front of her. It occurred to her then, that the balance between alpha and omega wasn't just one constantly doting in the other. Both sides gave and both sides took, and in a moment of clarity, she urged him backwards just a foot. Enough for her to sink to her knees in front of him, them both on the ground. 

Looking over the marks on his body, she felt rage fill her at anyone who would dare to try and kill him. At the same time, she was prideful that her alpha was strong enough to survive those past conflicts. 

So she leaned forward and pressed her mouth to the junction of his neck, right where it connected to his shoulder. There was a small knot of scar tissue there and she kissed it softly, before moving to another on his upper chest. This one, she kissed and licked gently, moving upwards to drag her tongue over the hollow of his throat and to the opposite side. She found another on his bicep, repeating the same motions as before while her finger tips ghosted over the ones lower on his body, the ones that covered his abdomen. Lightly touching them, she moved her mouth back up his body, pausing with her lips hovering over his main mating gland. “So strong, alpha. So many scars, so many battles and conflicts, and you've survived them all. My strong alpha.”

He'd been at war with himself, wanting to both close his eyes and focus on the sensation of her lips and hands, and also to watch every last moment. He'd chosen the former, his body loose and open to her ministrations with his head tipped back a bit to offer her more access. Her words caused a rumble in his chest, one hand reaching out to gently caress her arm. 

“I'd fight each other one them again if it meant I could have you,” he promised. “I'd fight every last survivor if it meant keeping you safe, Rey. I'd sacrifice my every last resource, lie everything at your perfect feet if it meant seeing you smile, even once. My beautiful omega, I'd burn everything to the ground to provide for you and our children.” His hand drifted to her abdomen, which was far too thin for his liking. He'd get her better fed, with or without children inside. His mate needed to be protected and cared for. He needed her happy. 

“How long would you give me before you start asking for those children, Ben?” she murmured, sealing her mouth over his gland to suck lightly. 

He moaned lowly, his hand sliding over to grab her hip and squeeze. He can feel himself hardening with determination, the chubby he had before twitching in excitement. He could _feel_ his pre-cum beading at his slit, excited to find a home in her warm, perfect cunt. _Fuck._

He brought his other hand up to the back of her head, sliding carefully into her hair to hold her mouth there. Fuck, her mouth felt so _right._ He'd never let anyone near his gland, not since he first presented and his doctor prodded at it for confirmation. He knew now that he'd been saving this part of him for her. This part of him was always hers. 

“Today, next year, ten years from now. Wh—whenever you'd want them, Rey, I'll make sure you have them. I'll pump you full of my come and my knot will keep it where it belongs, right inside your tight little pussy, and I'll make you come and come again so that your greedy cunt drinks it all up,” he swore, dizzy at the idea of it. 

Gasping softly at his promise, feeling wetness coat her thighs, she pulled back just enough to look up at him with glassy eyes. 

“Fuck, Ben, I—I think you've somehow sent me back into—” she whispered before her eyes went wide and a cramp tore through her lower abdomen. She leaned into him for comfort, her body feeling flushed and feverish. “Ben, it hurts—”

She reached up and curled her hand into the hair at the base of his scalp, holding on as she slipped her hand down lower on his body, toying with the area right where his waistband would be. Was it possible to even go back into heat this early? Maybe she'd never left it. Maybe this was something completely different. 

He made a gentle cooing noise at her, nuzzling her head as he gathered her up in his arms. He could smell the thick spike in her scent, remnant of the scent that permeated his life as he sat guard outside that door for her. But this time was so much stronger, sharp and sweet and just for _him._

“I know, sweetheart, I know. You're going into your true heat now, my love. This one is for me. This one could _only_ ever be for me,” he explained to her. He kissed her softly, his lips moving over her head and her neck, as he laid her on the new bed. He dragged heavy palms down her sides, hoping to take some of her new fever for her. “You body is designed to trigger a true heat for your perfect biological mate to ensure I both knot you and impregnate you, keeping me at your side forever. A lovely left over from our primitive days. Rey, my perfect one, you have to tell me right now if _you_ don't want a child at this time. Tell me now and I'll make sure it doesn't happen.” 

He ignored the animal inside him that raged at the very suggestion, demanding that nature was about to win this war and he _deserved_ the spoils of it. But Rey's happiness was the most important thing, and if having his child in nine months wasn't what she wanted, he couldn't do that to her. There would be other, run-of-the-mill heats. There would be days of just random sex. He wasn't at a loss for chances to secure his bloodline and begin a future generation.

The part of her mind that wasn't clouded with primal urges to bear his children held up red flags, waving frantically. She listened to it for a moment to see what points it made and found herself in full agreement, much to her omega's dismay. But even that side grudgingly admitted the rational side was right. Squeezing her eyes shut, Rey shook her head softly. 

“I'm nowhere near ready for a baby, Ben. My body is—” _malnourished, underfed._ “Any children I have now would be in danger of something going wrong during the pregnancy. I can't, not right now. Not until things are better,” she whispered, ignoring the cries of sorrow coming from her omega. 

He nodded, accepting her answer. He'd thought as much on his own. And there was that happy feeling in his chest that she wasn't _rejecting_ his children, simply that she was caring about their health. 

“Yes, Omega. Such a good girl, perfect omega, worried about her babies even now. They'll be perfect. You're so perfect,” he murmured. He'd spread her thighs at some point, the outside of his sliding along the inside of hers. “Such a good girl. So beautiful, so smart. And so _messy._ Did you make all this slick for me, sweetheart?” He dragged a heavy finger through her folds, humming with pleasure at how drenched it was. _Perfect_ ** _._ ** 

Looking up at him, her lips parted softly as her hips automatically rose to seek out more of his fingers. Already, this was so much different than being by herself. There had been no one to praise her, to enjoy her body like it was meant to be. 

“Just for you, alpha,” she whispered shyly, her body betraying her. _Rey_ was unsure of bedroom talk and how to be at ease with it, while her stupid omega _loved_ it. She banged at the mental door that was barely holding on, begging to be free. “I've never been _this_ wet before. Never before. Just for _you._ I want you to knot me and fill me up and mate me and never leave me and our children and I want—”

Okay, maybe she broke through. 

He smirked softly, his alpha swelling with pride that his omega thought all of that of him. He rubbed her slowly, his finger careful to avoid her clit, even if he got _just_ close enough. He nuzzled under her ear, sliding his tongue along her heated skin. He dragged it down to her mating gland and gave a quick suck. 

“What else do you want, my love? Tell me and I'll give it to you. I'll sink my teeth and my cock in you and give you everything you _ever_ needed. Your alpha has you,” he murmured honestly.

“I want _you,_ alpha,” she pled, reaching up to try and drag him down closer to her. Instinctively, she brought her legs up around his hips, needing more, more, _more._ His finger against her heated core was wonderful, but she wanted something better, something bigger, something thicker. “I don't want to be alone. Not when I have you. Give me your knot, give me your bite, Ben. Make me yours. _Please._ I don't care that this is new, that we're almost strangers. My omega recognizes your alpha and she wants him. I want him, I want you. Just you. This is _good,_ and _right,_ and I can definitely see myself in love with you,” her omega babbled out, almost incoherently. 

He captured her lips in a kiss at the same moment that he sunk himself into her, her slick allowing him to slide to hilt with ease. She could love him. How did he ever get so lucky as to have her, this perfect, fierce, beautiful omega to love him one day?

He shuddered as he laid still a moment, allowing their bodies to adjust to the newness. "Fuck, Rey, you're so perfect. So fucking tight and warm and god, no one could be more beautiful than you," he groaned into the crook of her neck. He kissed her gland, his alpha happy to know that soon, he'd sink his teeth in. For now they'd make love, but soon, soon.

She let out a shuddering breath, eyes squeezed tightly shut at the feeling of him stretching her so completely. It was mind-searing, the pleasure and relief instantly palpable. _This_ was what her body had needed. This scent in her nose was all she needed from now on, her omega purred at her. 

“Ben,” she moaned softly, her arms locking around his torso. Her nails dug into his back, holding on as she tried to make sense of this feeling. He fit inside of her like he was meant to be there. Perhaps he was, if his idea of perfect mates was true. It seemed like it so far. “God, you’re everything I’ve needed and didn’t even know it. I’m sorry I left the first time I saw you. I’m sorry I asked you to go home. I’m so sorry.” She spoke in between kissing along his jaw, needing as much of her as possible to be touching as much of him. 

"Never apologize for doing what you needed in order to survive. We didn't lose any time. We knew we were made for each other," he said, nuzzling at her head. "Are you ready, sweetheart? Can your alpha show you what only he can do for you? Can I give you everything now?"

“Yes,” she whispered softly, nodding as she relaxed a little against the bed. Keeping her legs around his waist, she moved her hands from his back to his face, cupping his jaw as she pulled him down to kiss him again. She traced the seam of his lips with the tip of her tongue, wanting to taste him again as he filled her with what she needed. Alpha knew best. Alpha knew how to care for omega. Alpha would protect and provide for and in return, she would give him children. “Give me everything, Ben, my alpha. G-god, you feel so good,” she moaned into his mouth. 

"Whatever you wish for, I will grant you," he promised as he pulled back and drove in again. His words were fragments of vows he meant truly and deeply, a sacred bonding ceremony that he wanted with her as badly as he needed air. And all he wanted to breathe right now was her, them, this perfect blend of their scents that make perfect sense. She was made for him and he intended to spend the rest of his life proving himself worthy.

He tried to control himself as best he could, keeping his thrusts measured and steady, so careful to allow her ease of adjustment. He made sure aim each thrust where it would have the best impact, aiming for her g-spot, needing to give her pleasure. Needing to be worth her.

Instinct demanded she help him as best she could, and she lifted her hips as best she could to meet him on each thrust. Each time they met, a little sound fell from her mouth, a little gasp of pleasure, a moan of desire. She could feel _everything._ Every drag of him inside her, every ridge and vein that traced his length. 

It surprised her that her body was capable of taking something as impressive as Ben, but she supposed she wasn’t allowed to argue with mother nature. She apparently had something in mind and that was the two of them together in every way. 

She licked into his mouth, inhaling his breath like she needed it more than air. His taste exploded on her tongue, and she shivered, unable to shield how much she loved everything about him. She wouldn’t want to shield herself, anyway. He was her alpha, and he was showing her something so amazing, and he deserved to know what it did to her. She was melting into a puddle of ecstasy, her first orgasm beginning to crest. 

“More, please— _please,_ alpha. I need more,” she panted as she moved her hips more insistently against his. 

He groaned to feel her wonderfully tight cunt clenching around him, the first wave of his own endorphins washing over him in pride that he had made her come. He'd satisfied his omega and now she was asking him to do it again. And who was he to deny her? He was a man in love, after all.

"Faster or harder, sweetheart? How do you want me to pound that sweet little pussy?" He asked gruffy, looking down into her beautiful hazel eyes.

She could barely think past the feeling of how wonderful he was, her body buzzing pleasantly. The feeling in her fingertips hadn't quite come back yet, but that was okay. 

Looking up into his face, hovering so near to her own, she watched as he moved. Watched the way his shoulders tensed, and the emotions and sensations passed over his features. She couldn't decide what she wanted. Faster, harder? Both? Neither? 

"Give me everything, Ben," she breathed in a moment of lucidity, their eyes locked together before she surged up to wrap her fingers into his hair and crush her mouth to his. "Take me the way I know you want to. Mate me, fuck me, make me yours," she moaned into him. 

He looked into her beautiful eyes one last time before he came to a full stop, sliding completely out of her. He was immediately endeared to the way she voiced her protest, at the way she looked at him with such offense and venom, but he hardly gave her time to dwell on those thoughts. He grabbed her by the hips and easily flipped her body over, moving her onto her knees and positioning her in a single fluid motion. He had enough of a mind to remember that she didn't want her back touched, and he kept his hands at her hips. He groaned in delight at the way his hands could encase her, at how his fingertips could nearly touch around her belly and yet his thumbs could still span much of her perfect peachy ass. Soon, though, his hands would have a harder reach. Soon, her belly would be full of their pups. Fuck.

To thank her for such a deed as she was going to do for him, he dipped down and ran his tongue over her sopping slit, diving in. He lapped at her folds, sucking her clit one moment and then tonguing her entrance the next. It was sloppy but planned, enough to keep his precious omega ready and wet for what he was about to do to her.

When he was quite satisfied with the way her taste coated his tongue, with her slick on his chin and nose, he moved back into position. "Ready, sweetheart? Alpha is going to bite you and knot you now. Are you sure you want this?"

Panting heavily, she nodded uselessly as she shivered, still able to feel the residual sensations of his hot tongue against her slick center. She was as amped up now as she could remember, her body positively vibrating with need for him. 

"Alpha, alpha, alpha," she moaned, rocking her hips back against him to try and urge him inside. The movement made him drag against her until the head of him was brushing against her clit and she made a soft little cry of pleasure. "Please, alpha. Mate me. Bite me, bite me, _bite me. Knot me, Ben."_

Her fingers clawed into the sheets below her, needing to find some sense of purchase as she braced for what she expected to come. She needed him, needed that thick, fat knot she knew he had. Needed him to fuck her until she couldn't see, and then she needed him to give her his knot and the cum that came with it. It was everything that she needed, and she wanted it. 

"Only for you," he growled as he finally pushed inside. The pace he set was quick and hard, the rough slaps of skin against skin, so wonderfully wet, filing the room. He fucked into her at the pace he had wished for while he was taking care of himself during her heat, he fucked her through the frustration and the pain he'd felt at what he had thought was her refusal. He grunted and groaned, doing nothing to keep his pleasures quiet. 

"Fuck, baby, fuck, fuck, _fuck!"_  He called out. He squeezed her ass, feeling it jiggle in his palms as he pounded into her. "Come for me again, baby, come for your alpha. Fuck, baby, squeeze that cock. _Fuck."_  He commanded. He draped himself above her back, balancing on one hand planted over her shoulder while his other brushed her hair away from her gland. Once it was free, he moved his hand down to strum her clit, his fingers quick and his press hard. 

Gasping as his finger found her clit, she arched back into him, needing _more._ She had a feeling she would _always_ need more. With her neck exposed, she tilted her head, giving him all the access he wanted, her eyes blissfully closed, her lips parted. 

She rode his fingers, rode his thrusts, each one punishing and oh so delicious. Squeezing her inner walls as much as she could around him, Rey could feel the pressure building deep within her belly, his size only accentuating the sensations coursing through her.

And then it happened.

She saw stars, blooming bright behind her closed eyes, and a low, ragged moan tore from her, sounding absolutely _carnal._ There were no words coming from her now, nothing coherent as she spasmed and went rigid against him. Goosebumps rose along her skin, her mouth went dry, and there was only the feeling of him pushing into her again, and again, and _again._

Feeling her comply brought out something truly primal in him, and her cry of pleasure so close to his ear made a wonderful chill race up his spine. He pushed his knot into her welcoming body and then, in a moment he could feel was right in his bones, he sank his teeth into her mating gland and felt her skin break for him.

If he thought he'd felt pleasure before, _nothing_ compared to this. He felt her in his mind, he felt the very heart and soul of his omega, of his _love_ inside his own. He was a part of her now and she was a part of him and this was absolutely and totally better than studying the after affects of such a moment in a lab. His scientist brain only surfaced for a moment, though, as the satisfied alpha coursing through his veins was in full control. This was it. This was what his whole life had been working up to. She was always it. 

Some very primitive part of her brain had her holding absolutely still as her alpha’s teeth rested in her neck. It was like the touch had stilled her, made her pliant and receptive. She was putty, completely and utterly, and she would do anything he asked of her in this moment. Absorbed in the feeling of belonging and fullness, she only noticed she had tears flowing down her cheeks when one dripped from her jaw to land on her arm. Her neck ached in the most pleasant way, a hurt that promised only good things to come. 

She held still until her alpha decided he was done, and she let out a soft whimper with every spurt of his spend flooding her body.

He kissed along her jaw, licking at her wound and murmuring words of love and adoration. "You're so beautiful, Rey. You're so perfect and smart and fierce and lovely and perfect for me. I love you. I live to serve you. I will spend the rest of my life proving I can be worthy of you." 

He wrapped his arm around her waist and gently rotated them so that they were spooning, her knees nudged up so that he could remain lodged inside of her comfortably. He continued to nuzzle at her throat, his nose skimming along her jaw and his tongue doing its best to soothe her. The hand at her stomach, meanwhile, was busy moving in a slow circle around her stomach, his fingers occasionally brushing down lower but not yet slipping between her lips. She would need to come after his was inside of her to ensure impregnation, but they hadn't quite decided on the children thing so he didn't want to encourage something she may not want. 

Letting out a shaky breath, she slowly opened her eyes, staring at the wall before them as her mind tried to catch up with everything that had just happened between them. She was a claimed omega. Someone actually wanted her. _Actually_ wanted her, and not just for her body. Why mate her when he could just fuck her, right? This _meant_ something. 

Lifting an exhausted arm, she draped it over his and brushed her fingers gently along the little hairs there. Already, she could tell her scent was shifting, the magic of his bite changing her chemistry to let the entire world know that she was _his._

“I’m so sorry for how I’ve behaved,” she whispered, leaned back slightly to nuzzle under his chin. “I’ve been stubborn, and this—” her voice broke slightly “—this right here is everything I’ve ever wanted. To just... _belong. Thank you.”_

He smiled softly, happy to accept her nuzzling. He hugged her back into him just a bit closer, a happy hum emitting from his chest. It was a biological leftover from the ancient days before speech, a way to reassure to calm your mate. It was entirely gone in some alpha's, their genes having long since expelled such a sentimental thing, but his lineage was strong and noble and it had remained. He hoped she didn't mind. 

"Thank you for taking a chance on me," he whispered back. He kissed the top of her head.

As the seriousness of the situation sunk in slowly, Rey blinked as a thought came to her. A slow, lazy smirk crossed her face, and she asked, “I guess this means I’m moving in now, huh?”

"I'd be grateful if you did, but the choice is yours," he promised. He stuffed down any surging emotions of anger at the idea that his mate _not_ be in his direct eyeline at all possible times. _That_ was another unfortunate leftover from biology that he did not like, along with his quick rage, and he hoped to quell it now that he had a mate. 

Tilting her head down to look at his arm, she traced the designs of his tattoos with her index finger. She dragged it up and down the swirls of black, done in such a way that it reminded her of a watercolor painting. She hasn’t taken the time to look and see what they really were, and she figured now was as good a time as any. She followed the path along his forearm and up to his bicep, only to slide her fingers back down to his hand. Brushing her over each of his fingers, moving around the curve of them, she murmured, “I will stay. But I need to speak with my friends first. Are they allowed to come, too?”

"Of course, my love. Your friends will be welcome members of my pack. There is even a home close to ours they can inhabit," he said. "When you're ready to, we can officially move in. I don't stay there often, but now that I have a family, I'd like to make it a home." 

Feeling a flutter go through her belly at the idea of having a family, others besides Finn and Rose, she smiled and cuddled back against him as much as she was able. “We’ll make it a home, then. Anything is better than where I’ve been living at. So once this...breakthrough heat or whatever this is, goes away, then I’ll go talk to them and see what they want to do.”

"I look forward to seeing where you've been dwelling," he said. What he _really_ meant was that he looked forward to torching her shack to the ground so that she'd never have to gaze upon it unworthiness again. 

Frowning slightly, she raised her eyebrows up at him. “You—? I mean, I was just going to go get them...if they don’t want to come live out here, then I don’t want their cover blown.”

In a truly biological response, he felt his knot soften and he looked down at her in confusion. "You...want to go alone? What are you afraid I may do to your friends? I won't expose them unnecessarily." 

Clearing her throat, she carefully rolled over to face him, meeting his eyes. “It’s not...I don’t know how to explain it. You’re, obviously, an alpha. And my friend Finn is _also_ an alpha. And he knows what happened the first time we met and now that you have a claim on me, I’m afraid that he’ll freak out and try to kill you, basically. And I don’t want either one of you getting hurt. I wanted to explain things without you there so they don’t think it’s under duress or anything. If you _want_ to come and you understand that I really _don’t_ want you getting into a fight with him, then you can.” She searched his face for a response, holding her breath as she waited.

"I'm not comfortable letting you out of my sight so close to our mating. And you're experiencing a breakthru heat on the back of your last heat, which can be triggered multiple times. I don't doubt your ability to take care of yourself, but being in danger at this level is more than ever your skills can handle," he said. "When you are out of it, I am going to teach you to wield a sword as well." 

She beamed suddenly, remembering the gorgeous blade he owned. Perhaps she would be able to find something similar soon enough. Something that would not necessarily replace her staff, but maybe something she could use in tandem with it. That was days away, though, and she needed to make sure Finn and Rose at least knew she was all right. Who knew how long it would be before she would be able to get back to them, especially if what he said was true. God, she hoped she didn’t get heat-triggered several times. She was exhausted enough from the last one. This one was going to put her on her ass, she already knew. 

“Would you be able to send a messenger to them? Someone to just let them know that I’m not dead?” she asked, leaning forward to mouth lightly at his gland. She was going to take her piece of him, too. 

He smiled as he rolled onto his back, tipping his chin up to give her whatever access she desired. "I'll send Mitaka. He's a beta, so he's surely to feel unimposing." 

“Good,” she whispered, moving with him to keep her mouth on his skin. She nibbled slightly, moving so that she straddled his waist. Her hands roamed up and over his abdomen, moving higher to claw gently into the firm muscle on his chest. Her alpha truly was one hell of a specimen, and she needed to bask in his power for just a moment. “Now, do you happen to know if it hurts to get marked while _not_ knot-deep in an omega?”

"It doesn't if the alpha has already bitten the omega. Any pain is overridden as the shared pheromone sequences are being synced up to completion, leading to a rush of endorphins for both the alpha and omega and leaving the bodies on—" 

“Keep talking nerdy to me, Professor,” she interrupted with a smirk, nosing at the best spot on his neck. She smiled against his skin, opening her mouth to let her teeth graze here and there until she finally, _finally_ found the precise spot she wanted her imprint to be in. She struck quickly, lips sealed over the wound to catch any blood before it had a chance to make too much of a mess. She kept her teeth there for a few long moments, prolonging the pleasure for him just the way he had for her. 

He tasted divine, his blood tasting a mixture of copper and something spicy. Something that mellowed on her tongue and made her lap at him all the more. 

He gripped at her hips as she stayed latched into him, his cock rapidly hardening again. This was perfection. The world could collapse around them, again, and he wouldn't care. He'd just protect her and move on. Now he understood the sappy looks on the faces of those he studied. Now he got _how_ that couple could sense one another from so far away. This was why. Biology was kind to them all.

"Rey?" He asked, his voice tight. 

Reluctant to pull off of him, she did so slowly, eyes glazed over as her fingers kept massaging his chest. “Hmm?”

"Can I fuck you again?" He asked, his fingers digging into the lovely soft flesh of her ass. 

Grinning slowly, she lifted herself to her knees and scooted back until she was hovering over him again. “I’d be really upset if you didn’t, _alpha.”_

And with that, she dropped herself down onto him, used his body to brace herself, and began a quick rhythm of riding him, feeling it only fair that she get to take him the way he’d taken her.

They were mated now, officially, and she was going to enjoy her mate as much as she possibly could.


End file.
